We really have no idea what the ceiling is for George Pickens; we've never actually seen it. He had a solid 2023: 106 targets, 63 receptions, 1,140 yards, and five touchdowns. But when I just read you that stat line, did anything stand out to you? Because it probably should have—106 targets and only 63 receptions. Well, he only had three drops, so that wasn't the reason. It was because the quarterbacks in 2023 in Pittsburgh could not give him catchable balls.
George Pickens had only 73 catchable targets all season long. That's good enough for 68.9% of his total targets and would have ranked him as the wide receiver 61 last year. So his quarterback play absolutely sucked. Having Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph will do that to you. But what about his inconsistent volume? Some weeks, it didn't even seem like he was on the field. Every game in 2023 where he saw at least eight targets, he had over 100 yards receiving. The problem was he only had four games with eight-plus targets. So the dude needs more consistent volume.
Which brings us to 2024. Justin Fields and Russell Wilson are in at quarterback—a huge upgrade at the quarterback position for sure. But what about Diontae Johnson being gone? Allen Robinson being gone? They combined for 136 targets in 2023, so that definitely boosts the potential of what Pickens could see. He was able to go for over 1,100 yards and five touchdowns in a horrible situation. Now, with more volume and more catchable volume, it could be huge. He could easily approach 1,300 yards and eight touchdowns this season.
Obviously, the biggest concern is Arthur Smith being the offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh and how he killed Atlanta in 2023. Hoping Mike Tomlin can keep him in check but also not forgetting that Arthur Smith is also the guy behind the A.J. Brown breakout back in their Tennessee days. So we've seen him do it as an offensive coordinator before. Can he do it again?
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