In Pittsburgh, Pickett to Pickens could become a familiar connection for years to come.
On Saturday night, however, it was Mason Rudolph not rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett who threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver George Pickens, a pass that he caught while otherwise being covered at the back of the end zone, and getting both of his feet down.
Pickens has created plenty of hype, which isn’t easy for any player to do in an old-school training camp that focuses heavily on team. But Pickens skills and abilities are undeniable, and questions inevitably will emerge as to why and how he lasted through 51 selections — 10 of which were receivers.
The mere fact that the Steelers picked Pickens becomes reason enough to think he’ll be pretty good. Pittsburgh has shown for more than a decade an uncanny skill when it comes to drafting great receivers, in any round.
In the past, some have said that having Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback helped make young receivers look better. WIth Big Ben gone, the receivers now have a chance to show what they’ve done to make the Steelers quarterbacks look good.
Based on this strength, Pickens will also help make the running backs look good, too.