The 2022 NFL Draft featured several wide receiver prospects that could make a big impact on their respective teams.
The Pittsburgh Steelers took George Pickens in the second round after some off-field concerns scared off other teams in the league.
Pickens had a productive rookie season in 2022, and his coaching staff believes he has an even higher trajectory this year.
As WR coach Frisman Jackson indicated via Kevin Patra, “He’s got to be a great player for us.”
Steelers WR coach Frisman Jackson expects George Pickens to make “big jump” in Year 2https://t.co/1Syqp827SE pic.twitter.com/TKG37byQg9
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) June 16, 2023
Pickens was the Steelers’ second offensive pick in last year’s draft, as the team took Kenny Pickett in the first round.
Pickett is slated to be the team’s starter for the next few years, given his early-round draft capital.
While Pickett still has plenty of time to grow and develop, Jackson is taking a lot of responsibility for the young pass-catcher.
When referencing the future of Pickens, Jackson said, “For him to play like he played last year, that’s a failure on my part.”
Last season, Pickens totaled 52 receptions, which resulted in 801 yards and four touchdowns.
This was the fourth-highest total among his rookie counterparts, but Jackson has much higher hopes for Pickens.
Pickens will need to compete for targets with Allen Robinson and Diontae Johnson, who are also large parts of this offense.
Can he get the type of workload necessary to have the leap that Jackson and others are expecting of him?
The Steelers are an organization that’s accustomed to winning, and they’ll look to get back to those ways in 2023.
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New Steelers WR Has High Praise For Kenny Pickett
