The Steelers have had real success with wide receivers taken on Day 2 of the NFL Draft in recent years, but most have been temporary fixes. From JuJu Smith-Schuster, to Diontae Johnson, to Chase Claypool, the Steelers have cycled through serviceable receivers without finding a true No. 1 option.
George Pickens finally looks like he can be that player. While the Georgia product still isn't totally polished, he's on pace for what would be a career-high 1,238 yards and has been playing some of the best football of his career since Russell Wilson took over at quarterback in Pittsburgh.
Pickens' personality is vibrant, for better or worse. His tenacity helps him go up and haul in passes that don't look like they have any business being caught, but his passion also lands him in hot water from time to time. Fans could tell from the start, though, that Pickens was going to be one of the most of the entertaining players in the NFL.
Here's a look back at Pickens' viral draft night picture that quickly became a meme.
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Pickens took draft night in stride after he wasn't selected in the first round, rolling with a pretty unconventional outfit as he watched the second round from home. Between the outfit and his posture, the image of Pickens watching himself get drafted quickly went viral.
Pickens later confirmed he took the night a bit less seriously after going undrafted in the first round, telling CBS Sports he was "a little salty" after he fell to the second round. "I had a clean suit man," he said.
The Steelers receiver revealed that he decided to sleep in on Day 2 and not stress himself out the same way he did on Day 1. "I was just telling myself, 'I'm not going to put nothing on the second day,'" Pickens said.
"Now the pose, that's just me trolling," Pickens explained, but the outfit, from the ski mask all the way down, was real.
Memes can be used against you, the Steelers learned when the Browns had some fun with Pickens' photo after a win over Pittsburgh in 2022.
Pickens hasn't come without controversy in his three seasons. He made a social media post that said "free me" when he evidently wasn't thrilled with his usage at one point in 2023, and he's gotten into altercations with Cowboys and Commanders defensive backs this season. As long as the Steelers are winning and Pickens is producing, though, it's hard for anyone to complain about his attitude.
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Pickens was taken with the No. 52 pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, coming off the board in the later portion of the second round.
While Pickens was rumored to be in first round consideration, injuries made him a major risk. The Georgia receiver played a combined 12 games between 2020 and 2021, missing more than half of the Bulldogs' contests and only recording five catches in 2021 after recovering from an offseason ACL tear.
While his development has hit some bumps along the way, health has not been an issue for Pickens at the NFL level. He hasn't yet missed a game in three seasons with the Steelers, so Pittsburgh's gamble was a success.
Pickens posted his first career 1,000-yard receiving season in 2023 despite the Steelers' quarterback turmoil.
He was instrumental in Pittsburgh's playoff push, which included three consecutive wins to finish the season. Pickens had 195 yards and two touchdowns in a Week 16 blowout of the Bengals, and he put up 131 yards on seven catches in a crucial win over the Seahawks the following week.
Ten games into 2024, Pickens on pace to beat his career-high in yards and return to the playoffs with the Steelers looking to win their first playoff game in eight years.