Is George Pickens Lions' Receiver of Future?
Based on what Georgia’s George Pickens put on game film in 2020, he would instantly be Detroit’s No. 1 wide receiver, if taken by the Lions in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Pickens (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) looked like he had dynamic superstar ability when going back and watching every pass thrown in his direction in 2020.
He was physical and explosive coming in and out of his breaks, and he just had that dynamic superstar look and feel to him.
Pickens was smooth, fluid and he made it look easy. He occasionally dropped one he shouldn’t have -- maybe because of a lack of focus or his relatively small hands. But, outside of that, he looked the part.
A comparable would be Alvin Harper, one of the Dallas Cowboys’ star receivers during the early 1990s.
There were just things that were easy to love about Pickens, like his ability to high-point the ball and his ability to create a couple of yards of separation on the deep ball.
He had this air of confidence about him, too, that the good receivers have.
It looked like he was on his way to becoming a top-15 selection in the NFL Draft. But, then he tore his ACL during a spring practice in March of 2021, and all bets appeared to be off.
“Appeared" being the operative word.
Joshua Bickel, USA TODAY Sports
Pickens did not just pack it in, though. He actually battled back and made it back to play for the Bulldogs at the end of last season.
Pickens managed to catch five passes for 107 yards in four games, and I watched all of his receptions.
The big question every pundit and scout had was whether Pickens would look the same as he did prior to his injury.
The answer is kind of.
Pickens kind of looked the same against Georgia Tech, as well as in the two Alabama games and against Michigan in the Orange Bowl.
Granted, Pickens made two phenomenal deep grabs - - one in each of these Alabama games in late 2021. Those were the two show-stoppers.
He proved to the world he was back and that he still could stretch a defense vertically and make the big play. He also showed he could still get enough separation on a short slant and a deeper comeback route. The excellent body control was still there.
However, he did not look the same as he did in 2020.
Pickens appeared to run a little more gingerly. He gave the impression he was trying to “will” himself to perform.
Pickens was not nearly as physical or as explosive coming in and out of his breaks.
Sure, he popped the Michigan corner pretty good on the run block that was the talk of the town. That is not what I mean, though.
Pickens played like he was still recovering, at least to some degree.
The good news is that the right knee -- the knee he injured -- did not appear to be giving him any trouble when he changed direction. That at least put the doubts about the knee to bed.
Pickens just appeared a tad bit more hesitant, as he was getting back into the flow of things.
It was certainly gutsy of him to be back out there. He probably figured if he had a prayer of still being a first-rounder, he had to prove the knee could hold up.
After looking at every catch the past two seasons, Pickens will still probably go late first round, early second, and that is right where Detroit will be sitting (at No. 32 and No. 34 overall, respectively).
All things considered, Detroit should pounce on Pickens if he is sitting there. Pickens is worth the risk, provided the knee checks out with Detroit’s doctors.
Why is he worth the risk? Because he has elite natural ability, and regardless of everything, Pickens would still instantly be Detroit’s No. 1 receiver.
