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George Pickens emerges as star of Steelers training camp


The Steelers' George Pickens catches up on a 26-yard touchdown reception as Coby Bryant defends the first quarter in a pre-season game in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers’ George Pickens catches up on a 26-yard touchdown reception as Coby Bryant defends the first quarter in a pre-season game in Pittsburgh.
Picture: beautiful pictures

Surely the Pittsburgh Steelers will be hoping that the star of their 2022 training camp will be Kenny Pickett or maybe even the improved Mitchell Trubisky. Entering their first season with a new starting quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger became an undoubted starter in 2005, the Steelers have signed Trubisky in free agency – a former 2 player overall has had a downward career life span over the past three years – and in the first round of the 2022 draft they picked local Pitt Panther QB, Pickett.

The rookie had trouble getting into camp early, and at one point the coaches let him work with the third team. Trubisky also had to struggle. In the Steelers’ pre-season opener, both played well with Pickett of course taking most of the shots as the No. 2 midfielder. He threw a touchdown pass that won the game with three seconds left on the clock. However, the star of the game is George Pickens.

Honestly, that’s the way it is for the Steelers in most training camps. Pickens does something to stand out in sports almost every day. On Saturday, it just happened at Acrisure Stadium meeting the Seattle Seahawks instead of a bad Tuesday at Saint Vincent College. Of his three captures, one is one toes in the back of the end zone for touchdown, but the highlight of his day was a block of pancakes that Hines Ward will likely play on repeat until the regular season begins.

Pickens is an athletic specimen. He’s 6 feet 3, 195 pounds, runs a 4.47 40 yard run in combined, and record a vertical 33-inch jump. What he is noticed by scouts is his overall strength. He doesn’t squeeze the chair at the union, and his hand measures 8 ¾ inches. Some scouts think he might struggle against press coverage in the NFL. Also, Pickens’ best season at Georgia was his first. He was rated the fourth widest prospect in the US by sports 24/7 in 2019 and as a freshman, he scored eight touchdowns on 727 receiving yards.

During the COVID 2020 season, he totaled 513 receiving yards and six touchdowns in only eight games. Then the next year injury struck. Pickens tore an ACL during spring practice. He would return to the field before the end of Georgia’s national championship season, but only caught five passes in four games. In fairness to him, Stetson Bennett IV wasn’t exactly Matthew Stafford behind center.

Tomlin has been careful to not be too abusive with his praise of the rookie, but Pickens was shown in practice. He stole the pass from every angle get oohs and ahhs on a regular basis. Since he is a former Bulldog, he even paid homage to Knowshon Moreno by easily passing defenders.

The wide receiver factory that started with John Stallworth and Lynn Swann continues to produce talent. Names like Jack Lambert, Levon Kirkland, and James Harrison are the first names that come to mind when thinking of a town known as “Steel City”. Expectations TJ Watt would terrorize opposing quarterbacks throughout the season to the satisfaction of Western Pennsylvania, but the Steelers are as good at showcasing talent in the NFL’s most graceful position as any team in league history.

Wide receivers flew off the table in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, leaving some teams unconcerned about second round placement. The Steelers’ keen senses are throbbing, and they see a five-star ex-player with all the sports gear needed to help tackle this post-Roethlisberger offense.

He’s been the star of the summer for the Steelers so far, and perhaps his being out there with Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool is enough to make up for anything Trusbiky and Pickett might lack.





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