The Dallas Cowboys were criticized for not taking a wide receiver in the NFL Draft, but they responded with a bang by trading for George Pickens. While it remains to be seen if Pickens will stick in Dallas beyod 2025, he is already making his presence felt at OTAs.
The Cowboys will have their second OTA practice open to the media on Thursday. Team reporters will have insights on positional pecking orders and other notable happenings.
If Pickens performs anything like he has behind closed doors since Dallas' last public practice, he is going to be at the center of the spotlight. A picture on the team's official website showed Pickens make an acrobatic one-handed grab ... and seemingly made it look like a walk in the park.
Cowboys WR George Pickens already turning heads at OTAs
That is a terrific shot of the Cowboys' newest wide receiver and it offers a glimpse into just how expansive Pickens' catch radius really is. The 24-year-old's wingspan, body control and leaping ability are all on display here. It is a shame fans were deprived of the full action shot.
It admittedly does not look like Pickens was covered on the play. This might have been a routine receiver or quarterback drill.
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Regardless, no cornerback is getting their hands on that pass. Very few wideouts in the NFL can give Pickens a run for his money as far as making spectacular catches look ordinary. Cornerbacks generally pale in comparison to WRs from an athleticism standpoint.
It is hard to read too much into Pickens' advanced metrics due to the Steelers' woeful quarterback play since he entered the league. He played a full season in 2023, though, and led all receivers with 18.1 yards per catch. He also ranked 12th with 409 yards after the catch, 14th with 2.11 yards per route run and had the third-fewest drops with three, per PFF (subscription required).
Those are borderline WR1 numbers, but Pickens will be the WR2 in Dallas next to CeeDee Lamb, who firmly believes the Cowboys have two No. 1 options.
Even if Lamb dominates the target share, Pickens' ability to stretch the field and come down with contested catches will open up the playbook and make life markedly easier for Dak Prescott.
Once Pickens gets more acclimated to the playbook and develops better chemistry with Prescott, the acrobatic and one-handed snags will become the norm.