George Pickens' future with the Pittsburgh Steelers is a bit uncertain as the 2025 NFL Draft approaches. After Omar Khan pulled off a steal to trade for DK Metcalf this offseason and then signed the former Seahawk to a new contract, things changed for Pickens. The former second-round pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract and, rather than pay two pass-catchers top dollar, it appears far more likely the Steelers will part with Pickens.
Rather than lose him for nothing next offseason in free agency, though, it's becoming increasingly possible that Pittsburgh trades Pickens. The draft offers the most obvious timeframe for that to happen, especially if teams are unable to get the receiver they covet in the first round of the draft on Thursday. One such team in that vein would be the Green Bay Packers.
Despite some pushback from the front office, Packers running back Josh Jacobs and countless fans have identified that Jordan Love and the Green Bay offense need a true alpha in the receiver room. They have the bones of a great core, without question, but they also quite clearly lacked the game-changing threat on the outside. Though he has his mercurial traits, Pickens has the talent to be that player.
Of course, the Packers aren't alone among the teams that could call Pittsburgh about trading Pickens. Having said that, Green Bay has something that no other team does: Jaire Alexander.
Packers have George Pickens trade trump card the Steelers should love
Having Jaire Alexander might seem like a strange thing to call an advantage for the Packers, especially given how they've handled the cornerback this offseason. However, that's absolutely the case in this specific scenario.
For starters, Green Bay is projected to be eyeing wide receiver as a potential target in the first round of the 2025 draft. Picking at No. 23 behind the Broncos and Chargers, among others at the top of the draft order, getting the right player at the position when they're on the clock is far from a guarantee. In a draft class that's thick in the middle but light at the top in terms of receiver depth, that's a tricky spot, one in which the Packers could definitely miss out their guy in. Oh yeah, they've also been rumored to be ready to move on from Alexander all offseason.
Then you have the Steelers. As mentioned, they already have Metcalf locked up long term, which is the primary catalyst for Pickens potentially being moved. What Pittsburgh also has, though, is a real need for more depth and quality at cornerback. Even after bringing in Darius Slay to pair with Joey Porter Jr., there are questions in that secondary group.
Furthermore, the Steelers aren't positioned to use a premium draft pick on a corner given their other needs at quarterback, running back, defensive line and even at offensive line still to a lesser degree. That's where the Packers could come into the equation.
If the Packers were to go in another direction that receiver in Round 1, then calling the Steelers with a trade proposal centered on a Pickens-for-Alexander swap, Pittsburgh would have to be highly intrigued. Heck, if Green Bay was willing to eat some of Alexander's contract too, even a marginal amount, the one-for-one trade might get a deal across the finish line.
There aren't many (if any) other teams that can offer a player of Alexander's caliber, albeit with a torrid injury history, for Pickens. They can offer a Day 2 pick, but if the Steelers want to remain competitive, they could be more inclined to look at a player like the current Packers corner.
This isn't a guarantee that a Packers-Steelers trade for Pickens will get done or, even if it does, that it would include Alexander. What it does say is that Green Bay has more avenues to explore than any other potential suitor for the Pittsburgh wide receiver, which is only going to add to the intrigue leading up to the draft and the moves that could be made.