Every NFL team’s breakout star for this season
By Nick Villano
Breakout NFL candidates for 2023: Pittsburgh Steelers – George Pickens
Surprise, surprise. The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to have found a superstar wide receiver in the middle rounds. This one pained everyone when George Pickens fell to the Steelers in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He seems like the perfect Steelers WR, and he is paired with a young quarterback in Kenny Pickett who throws it up for him to get it.
It might surprise some to learn Pickens finished last season with 800 yards receiving. Many talked about him like he was carrying the offense, but Pickens was just making big plays and not a lot else. This season, Pickens will focus more on moving the chains in simple ways to add to his playmaking ability.
The Steelers offense should be better overall. Pickett is in year two. Diontae Johnson can’t have the same terrible season he had last year. Everyone will be better, and that will make Pickens better. He might become one of the best wide receivers in the league by season’s end.
The one issue that might hurt Pickens is if Pickett doesn’t progress like Steelers fans and the coaching staff hope. That would hurt the offense as a whole, and Pickens would have to pull some heroics just to get his stats like he did last season.