Draft Analysis: George Pickens

Height: 6’3″
Weight: 195 lbs
College: Georgia
Tape watched: Baylor 2019, Missouri 2020, Mississippi State 2020, Cincinnati 2020 and 2021
NFL Comparison: Josh Gordon

Pros

Physicality
While he isn’t quite the punisher of Treylon Burks in this class, Pickens isn’t far behind. George Pickens has it all in terms of physical tools. He is a chiseled 195 lbs and stands 6’3″. He runs behind his pads with the football, and doesn’t waste time getting vertical. Pickens isn’t affected by contact in his routes and through the air often. He can and should work his upper body more through his routes, however.

Catch Radius
There are few footballs that are out of range for Pickens. He has long arms and an ability to jump out of the stadium. He is powerful jumping in the air and snatching balls with great body control. His long frame gives him the ability to dive for passes and make long, and leaning catches out of bounds. Pickens has great hands and usually keeps the ball off his body.

Tracking
One of the nicest details of watching George Pickens is his ability to track the football. Downfield targets were where Pickens was most effectively utilized. He was able to track the ball over both shoulders and make some impressive plays out of reach.

Midline

Route Running
Some consistency and this may turn into a major pro for Pickens at his size and speed. Georgia effectively used him on vertical planes. Stretching the field was his greatest strength, but he excelled at hitches and comebacks as well. There are times when Pickens climbs his route tree with aggression and deceptiveness. But there are far too many times he knows the first read is somewhere else, and ends up running slow, lackadaisical routes.

His hand and arm usage in his release and routes can be top tier at times. I think it would benefit Pickens to focus on these strengths, and be proactive with his hands instead of reactive. He is a menace when he bullies corners through his route.

An example of where Pickens upper body strength could provide so much more at the top of his route. He gives a lazy arm to feel out the defender at the top, instead of breaking the hold of the corner. Also an example of how more often than not, separation won’t matter for Pickens.

The IQ and natural feel of George Pickens on deep routes is perfection. He flattens out beautifully on this fade route for six.

Release
There isn’t a ton of tape with Pickens in press release, but he has good enough footwork and a frame made for breaking press. Much like his route running, working his punch and counters will do wonders. He has good shoulders that bend around cornerbacks and he uses them to shield his route lines.

Cons

Blocking
Effort and technique fall short for Pickens in the blocking game. He has the physical traits to be dominant in this field. He often elects for kill shots over stalk and mirror techniques. With his frame, simply getting in the way is nine times out of ten a best case scenario for the run game.

Pickens is very grabby when he doesn’t completely square up. This was one example where the hold should have been called.

Versatility
One of the true perimeter receivers in the class, Pickens has little to no experience in the slot. He is best creating his separation on deep routes, or by using his catch radius for the lack thereof. He could be used in the slot on a matchup basis in the NFL, but leaving him at the X lends more advantages.

Overview

If George Pickens had a full 2021 season I suspect we would be talking about him going in the top ten, and as the WR1 in this draft. Missing essentially a full year in college is extremely detrimental for prospect growth, as the human body is still developing and athletes are learning and changing every day. In 2019 and 2020, Pickens showed he can dominate matchups on a regular basis with his size and speed. He is nearly unstoppable when he has leverage to the football. He has a top set of hands in the class, and a monstrous catch radius to go with it. Running in the 4.4s checked a major box off for his first round entry during the draft. Pickens projects to be a true boundary receiver with major top 32 upside in the NFL.