Saturday was a big night for the Pittsburgh Steelers' high-profile rookies from their 2022 NFL Draft class. First-round quarterback Kenny Pickett was a hero with a late game-winning touchdown pass to cap off a sterling performance against the Seattle Seahawks, while second-round wide receiver George Pickens also had himself a game in his Steelers preseason debut.
Pickens caught three passes for 43 yards and a touchdown, a 26-yard strike from Mason Rudolph that was capped off by an Antonio Brown-inspired touchdown celebration. Asked after the game if Pickens' play was surprising in any way, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin had a short answer, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor: âNo.â
Pittsburgh used the No. 52 pick in the draft on Pickens, who played three seasons at Georgia. The wideout made waves as a freshman with 727 yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games. He caught 36 passes for 513 yards and six touchdowns in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign but then tore his ACL in 2021, forcing him to miss most of his junior season. He did return late in the season and notched a 52-yard reception in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game against Alabama.
Article Continues BelowPickens is currently the No. 3 wide receiver on the Steelers' depth chart. Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool are the top two receivers, but Pickens is listed as a starter alongside them and is clearly making a big impression already.
It's going to be interesting to see how this Pittsburgh offense operates in the first season of the post-Ben Roethlisberger era. Mitch Trubisky got the start on Saturday and thew a touchdown pass, while Rudolph and Pickett also had strong nights. It hasn't been a pretty training camp for these quarterbacks, with nobody truly standing out. It looks like Trubisky will be the starter when the regular season begins, but Pickett could challenge him with more performances like Saturday.
Whichever QB is under center, George Pickens will look to make a splash in his rookie campaign.