Cowboys COO Stephen Jones Shares His Vision for George Pickens's Ceiling

Dallas traded for the always interesting wide receiver last week, pairing him with CeeDee Lamb.

Pickens was traded to the Cowboys last week. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys made a major post-NFL draft splash last week by trading for wide receiver George Pickens, pairing the 24-year-old with three-time All-Pro CeeDee Lamb in what many expect to be an elite pass-catching combination for quarterback Dak Prescott.

Owner Jerry Jones put the league on the scent a few weeks ago when he hinted at his team working on a "substantive" trade. With the deal now complete, COO Stephen Jones spoke with Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer about adding Pickens to the fray—and what his ceiling could look like in Dallas:

"He’s just a dynamic receiver," said Jones. "Everybody says we’re looking for a [number] two. I mean, George can be a one. He’s got that type of talent. He’s got an unbelievable ball-tracking ability. He’s got plenty of juice and he’s a fiery competitor. And we love that, he plays with an edge, and we think he’d be a good fit for our team."

The Cowboys traded a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick. Over his first three NFL seasons, Pickens eclipsed the 800-yard mark in each while hauling in a total of 174 passes and 12 touchdowns.

His success hasn't come without some controversy, however. Pickens has often found his name in the headlines for both on and off the field reasons, and it was reportedly a Mike Tomlin decision for the Steelers to trade him.

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