The Steelers get biggest WR steal in George Pickens at 52nd pick

George Pickens celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of the Peach BowlImage credit: Joshua L. Jones-USA TODAY NETWORK/Athens Banner-Herald
George Pickens celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of the Peach BowlImage credit: Joshua L. Jones-USA TODAY NETWORK/Athens Banner-Herald

Georgia football officially has six players drafted as George Pickens becomes the first Dawg off the board in round two of the 2022 NFL Draft as the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him with the 52nd pick.

The Steelers just got the biggest receiver steal of the draft, as many other teams overlooked Pickens. Maybe his off-the-field attitude turned them off or his health — regardless, they will regret not drafting him.

Pickens, unfortunately, tore his ACL in Spring 2021, so he missed most of his junior year games, but in the five matchups he did play in, the stand-out receiver was a huge asset.

In round two, Georgia football finally gets a Dawg off the board as George Pickens heads to Pittsburgh.

The receiver was one of the many Georgia players that stood out in Indianapolis at the NFL Combine. He ran a 4.47 40-yard dash after his injury, which was incredibly impressive.

Even though his time at Georgia got cut short, Pickens has been an NFL target since coming out of high school. He is a true receiver and can do it all.

His route running is incredible, and Pickens knows how to draw pass interferences, as well as the guards in basketball know how to draw fouls. That interference he got called on him in the national championship was as crucial as the huge catch he made early on that game.

At Georgia, he amassed 1,347 yards, 14 scores in 24 matchups. Pickens will be a long-time NFL receiver if he can stay healthy. If he does, watch out because he has so much flash and talent that it isn’t funny.

Not to mention, Pickens has a high football IQ and has great instinct. He was born with stick-um on his hands because Pickens will catch it if it’s within his reach.

The Steelers got a significant steal with this pickup because he has so much potential, and his ceiling isn’t close to getting reached. Pittsburgh got a guy they could trust to catch the ball, which gave them a scrappy, aggressive playmaker.

Pickens fits in with Pittsburgh, but the Steelers weren’t the first team we thought would draft him. It was surprising to see Green Bay pass over him and a few other groups who could have but didn’t.

Those team’s shortcomings give the Steelers one heck of a receiver who will be able to make an impact from Day 1.

Georgia has nine left on its board as the Dawgs patiently wait for Nakobe Dean, Jamaree Salyer, and others to get drafted.