2022 NFL Draft Profiles: Does George Pickens Make Sense for the Jaguars at No. 33?
The 2022 NFL Draft season is upon us.
Among the 32 teams building their rosters to compete for the next Lombardi Trophy is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold 12 picks in this season’s draft -- including the No. 1 overall pick. The Jaguars are entering a new era after the Urban Meyer tenure, making this draft as pivotal as one could imagine.
As we march closer and closer to April’s draft, we will look at individual draft prospects and how they would potentially fit with the Jaguars. Instead of looking at any negatives, we are going to look at what the players do well and if they could match what the Jaguars need at the specific role or position.
In our next prospect breakdown, we take a look at Georgia wide receiver George Pickens and how he could add value to the Jaguars' offense.
Overview
Landing George Pickens was one of the biggest wins of Kirby Smart's tenure as Georgia's head coach considering Pickens' pedigree -- which speaks volumes considering how successful Smart has been as a recruiter. According to 247Sports, Pickens was a five-star prospect who was also the best recruit in all of Alabama. He was ranked as the No. 24 recruit nationally and as the No. 4 receiver in the 2019 recruiting class,
Pickens, 6-foot-5, ultimately choose to commit to Georgia over offers from Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Tennessee, Michigan, Ole Miss, and Oregon. Essentially, Pickens had his choice of schools and ultimately decided to be a Bulldog.
Pickens was an immediate contributor as a true freshman, catching 49 passes for 727 yards (14.8 yards per catch) and eight touchdowns, though he missed the first half of the SEC Championship Game due to a suspension that stemmed from a fight vs. Georgia Tech.
As a sophomore, Pickens tied the team in receiving scores with six while also recording 36 catches for 513 yards (14.3 yards per catch). Pickens was expected to have another massive role in 2021 before an ACL injury in March sidelined him for much of the season, though he did return to play in four games and catch five passes for 107 yards (21.4 yards per catch).
What George Pickens Does Well
When you watch Pickens, one can't help but think of the idea of bully ball. Pickens truly knows how to use his height, frame and length to win with the ball in the air on vertical routes. Pickens was simply bigger and stronger than most defensive backs he faced in his college career and one could expect that to continue in the NFL as he adds to his frame and overall strength.
Pickens' ball skills come in handy on contested catches and back-shoulder passes as he is able to contort his body and bring in passes outside his frame from all angles, but they also show up when he has to track the ball in the air as he streaks downfield. Pickens was deadly on deep shots in 2021 (see the National Championship Game) because he has natural hands and a keen instinct for tracking the ball's trajectory. Even if overthrown, he can bring in deep passes thanks to his length and ball tracking.
While Pickens is still a work in progress as an overall route runner, he does show good competitiveness and overall resilience in that regard. He does a good job of fighting throughout his route even against physical coverage, with his hand usage developing by leaps and bounds over his college career. He has frequently shown the ability to swat defenders' hands away from his frame both throughout the route and even at the line of scrimmage, which bodes well for his future as an 'X' on the outside.
Pickens has some more burst after the catch than one would expect from a 6-foot-5 receiver, too. He has a wiry and lanky frame but is still able to sink his hips and explode on his breaks and with the ball in his hands, taking advantage of any space he is given after the catch. Add in his natural strength and aggressiveness and he is tougher to bring down with the ball in his hands than one would expect.
How George Pickens Would Fit With the Jaguars
It is easy to see how Pickens would fit with the Jaguars, especially in a post-DJ Chark offense. While he isn't a burner who will run a blazing 40-yard dash, Pickens is a true X receiver who has the size and physicality to line up on the outside and be trusted to fight press coverage and win on vertical routes.
The Jaguars simply didn't have that type of receiver on the roster when Chark was injured last season, with no other receivers having his blend of size, speed and ball skills with the ball in the air. Pickens would change that, however, and would give the Jaguars a big-bodied receiver who can win with the ball in the air downfield, even if he isn't consistently getting behind secondaries.
While Pickens wouldn't solve the Jaguars' speed issues, he would give them a true "my ball" receiver who Trevor Lawrence could trust both in the red-zone and downfield. There is no other option like Pickens on the roster, so his blend of size and ball skills would play a key role right away.
There is also a fair argument to make that Pickens is the type of receiver Lawrence is best with. Lawrence's best plays as a rookie were when he gave his bigger receivers a chance to win with the ball in the air downfield as opposed to him simply throwing receivers open on nine-routes. Pickens has the frame and length that Lawrence has excelled with both in college and in the NFL, making his fit clear.
Verdict
Pickens' limited stretch of production over the last two seasons creates enough questions that I do not think you can justify a trade-up for Pickens, but he is an intriguing option at No. 33 overall pending who is left on the board. He is a true X receiver who can stretch the field and his skill set meshes well with Trevor Lawrence. He makes sense at No. 33 and would be a home run if still on the board at No. 65.
For all of our 2022 NFL Draft profiles, click below.
