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

The Dallas Cowboys made an enormous splash on Wednesday morning, agreeing to a commerce for huge 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 looking for a legit WR2 alongside CeeDee Lamb, and Pickens ought to elevate their offense. However is Pickens undoubtedly the reply for Dallas? And did Pittsburgh get sufficient again in return?

Let’s grade each side. Who really received the deal? I am evaluating the commerce based mostly on a number of elements, together with on-field influence, general worth for both sides, wage cap implications, and the context of every group’s short- and long-term QB outlooks.

Grading Pickens to Dallas

After passing on the huge receiver place solely on this yr’s draft, the Cowboys lastly received their second receiver to enhance Lamb. Pickens is a wonderful match with Lamb, too. He is an outdoor vertical receiver who will enable Lamb to keep up 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 price amongst receivers with at the least 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 keeping with ESPN’s player-tracking-based receiver scores, Pickens has proven progress in his capacity 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 might see constructive regression, since a receiver’s capacity to get open is extra steady from yr to yr than his capacity to make catches over expectation.

So, on paper, this transfer makes loads of sense for the Cowboys. As poorly as 2024 went for this group, 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 price the Cowboys (beneath $3.4 million) than if he had been on the open market.

However this transfer shouldn’t be made solely on paper. A giant a part of the rationale Pickens is obtainable is it appears the Steelers had had sufficient of him. After Pickens had two unsportsmanlike penalties towards the Bengals final season, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin stated, “He is received a goal on his again as a result of he is George; he understands that. However he is received to develop up. He is received to develop up in a rush.” Then, after the season, Tomlin stated, “There is definitely clearly extra room for progress 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 preserve it that manner. They need to let him play out the season and possibly 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 scale back its grade right here.

For the Steelers, that is good compensation. The league broadly knew they needed to maneuver on from Pickens, and so they nonetheless received a Day 2 decide again.

Pittsburgh already acquired Pickens’ substitute in DK Metcalf earlier this offseason. Whereas the 2 wideouts might have performed collectively, there’s an apparent overlap of their kinds, 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 out a second receiver subsequent to Metcalf, Pittsburgh is that a lot farther from being a right away contender. That makes bringing in Rodgers slightly tougher to justify — even when the Steelers’ choices at QB are extraordinarily restricted with the draft within the rearview mirror. Maybe Kirk Cousins could possibly be one other route?

Grade for the Cowboys: B-

Grade for the Steelers: B+