George Pickens commerce: Grades for Cowboys, Steelers in WR deal

Seth WalderMight 7, 2025, 10:15 AM ET
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The Dallas Cowboys made an enormous splash on Wednesday morning, agreeing to a commerce for large receiver George Pickens. They may ship a 2026 third-round decide and a 2027 fifth-round decide to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round decide.

The Cowboys had been trying to find a legit WR2 alongside CeeDee Lamb, and Pickens ought to elevate their offense. However is Pickens positively the reply for Dallas? And did Pittsburgh get sufficient again in return?

Let’s grade either side. Who really received the deal? I am evaluating the commerce primarily based on a number of components, together with on-field affect, general worth for all sides, wage cap implications, and the context of every crew’s short- and long-term QB outlooks.

Grading Pickens to Dallas

After passing on the large receiver place fully on this yr’s draft, the Cowboys lastly bought their second receiver to enrich Lamb. Pickens is a wonderful match with Lamb, too. He is an out of doors vertical receiver who will permit Lamb to take care of his heavy dosage of slot alignments within the Cowboys’ offense. Pickens ran go routes and deep fades 19% of the time final season, the Tenth-highest charge amongst receivers with no less than 300 routes run. He managed 900 yards over 14 video games in 2024 and hit 1,140 receiving yards in 2023. And he posted a powerful 2.2 yards per route run each years.

In line with ESPN’s player-tracking-based receiver scores, Pickens has proven development in his potential to get open since his rookie season. He had a 48 open rating in 2022, however that rose to 70 and 68 the previous two years. Nevertheless, his catch rating has dropped from a excessive of 99 in his rookie yr to 72 in 2023 after which 40 final season. That appears just like the profile of a participant who may see optimistic regression, since a receiver’s potential to get open is extra secure from yr to yr than his potential to make catches over expectation.

So, on paper, this transfer makes loads of sense for the Cowboys. As poorly as 2024 went for this crew, the roster nonetheless has the identical core because the one which went 12-5 in 2023 (albeit with a unique coach) and had a serious weak point at receiver after Lamb. To surrender a shade greater than a third-round decide for one yr of Pickens is cheap, contemplating how a lot much less it’s going to value the Cowboys (below $3.4 million) than if he had been on the open market.

However this transfer just isn’t made solely on paper. A giant a part of the explanation Pickens is out there is it appears the Steelers had had sufficient of him. After Pickens had two unsportsmanlike penalties in opposition to the Bengals final season, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin stated, “He is bought a goal on his again as a result of he is George; he understands that. However he is bought to develop up. He is bought to develop up in a rush.” Then, after the season, Tomlin stated, “There is definitely clearly extra room for development there.” Earlier within the season, there have been questions over Pickens’ effort, too, although Tomlin dismissed these considerations on the time.

The chance right here is mitigated by the one-year dedication, and if I had been the Cowboys, I might need to maintain it that manner. They need to let him play out the season and doubtless let him stroll subsequent offseason in alternate for the potential of a compensatory decide. If Dallas indicators Pickens to an extension earlier than the 2025 season, I might considerably cut back its grade right here.

For the Steelers, that is good compensation. The league broadly knew they wished to maneuver on from Pickens, they usually nonetheless bought a Day 2 decide again.

Pittsburgh already acquired Pickens’ substitute in DK Metcalf earlier this offseason. Whereas the 2 wideouts may have performed collectively, there’s an apparent overlap of their types, and it definitely seems that the Metcalf acquisition was in anticipation of dropping Pickens. Nevertheless, the Steelers as soon as once more have a receiver drawback. Behind Metcalf on the depth chart are Calvin Austin III, Robert Woods and Roman Wilson.

The final piece of the puzzle is how this pertains to Aaron Rodgers. With no second receiver subsequent to Metcalf, Pittsburgh is that a lot farther from being an instantaneous contender. That makes bringing in Rodgers a bit of more durable to justify — even when the Steelers’ choices at QB are extraordinarily restricted with the draft within the rearview mirror. Maybe Kirk Cousins may very well be one other route?