PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – A college football insider believes the Steelers got a future superstar in second-round pick, Georgia receiver George Pickens.
Mike Griffith is a contributor for the SEC Network and watched many of Pickens games. He said he’s easily comparable to former Bengals receivers Chad Johnson and AJ Green, noting his measurables with Green are nearly identical. Calling Pickens hands ‘vise grip-like’. Pickens two best games in college were in bowl games-19 receptions for 310 yards and two touchdowns in two opportunities.
“All the way back to Lynn Swann it seems the Steelers have had dynamic playmakers and Pickens fits that mold,” Griffith told The PM Team on 93.7 The Fan. “He is absolutely dynamic. I think it’s a great locker room, I think Tomlin is a great leader of young men and I think George needs that.”
Pickens has had a couple of incidents in his career including most recently being involved in a car accident. The Steelers draft choice was not driving, he was a passenger who wasn’t wearing his seatbelt and his head hit off the windshield. Griffith believes much of the scuttlebutt about those reports were other scouts covering their butts for not drafting Pickens.
“George squirted someone with a water bottle on the sidelines once,” Griffith said. “His freshman year some Georgia Tech guy starts throwing punches and George fights back in the end zone. Yeah, those are a couple of things.”
“George just wants the ball. He wasn’t at Georgia to go to class. He wasn’t at Georgia to be on the Dean’s List. This guy is a competitor. He wants to play football, that’s all he wants to do.”
Griffith noted he’s never been involved in any off-field issues during his time at Georgia. He said Pickens is not a trouble-maker or a bad guy. He’s enthusiastic and needs to be put in a program with strong leadership. He believes the Steelers will provide that.
Given the outbursts of Antonio Brown, fans can debate that. He will be in a very young receivers room with a new position coach. Steelers WR Coach Frisman Jackson seems to be a no-nonsense-type of guy, although it’s yet to be seen with the Steelers.
Griffith says Pickens won’t be an issue leading up to Sundays.
“This guy works at practice every day,” Griffith said. “He’s the anti-Allen Iverson. Pickens is going at it on practice days making fantastic catches like its game day. The dude just balls and he’s physical. He knocks down DBs. He’s an impact player. If you can get a trigger, he’s going to make plays for you.”
That is the one area where Griffith questions his impact with the Steelers. He told Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller, Pickens would be 2022 Rookie of the Year if the Packers drafted him. He’s a lot more sold on the Steelers second-round pick that the first.
“I just hope the Steelers have a quarterback that can get Pickens the ball,” Griffith said. “That is my concern. Do they have a quarterback that can get the ball to him?”