Steelers Looking for Leadership From George Pickens

The Pittsburgh Steelers expect George Pickens to lead their wide receiver room this season.

Oct 29, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers made their expectations for George Pickens clear in their pre-draft press conference. General Manager Omar Khan and Head Coach Mike Tomlin spoke jointly to the media to answer final questions before the 2024 NFL Draft.

Naturally, the wide receiver position came up. With the trade of Diontae Johnson, the signing of Van Jefferson, and the team expected to select one in the coming days, this positional group is poised to look drastically different than last season. And the Steelers expect George Pickens to be the leader of the new look receiving core in 2024.

Along with the speedy Calvin Austin III, standout receiver George Pickens is the only holdover from Pittsburgh's aerial attack last season. Pickens stuck out as the most explosive and dangerous receiver over his first two seasons in the NFL, and made that even clearer this past one.

Coming off of his first 1,000 yard campaign, Pickens is set to evolve his game again as the clear cut number one option in Pittsburgh. And with that promotion in the depth chart comes a promotion in the locker room role as well.

"We're really comfortable with the trajectory of George Pickens," stated Coach Tomlin. He heaped praises on the player he is on the field, calling him a "playmaker." He also stated that Pickens is growing as a leader. Tomlin mentioned the experience he's collected within the organization and how much it can benefit the team this upcoming season.

The Steelers top brass gave a ringing endorsement to their stud receiver, stating they felt comfortable with both Pickens as their top guy and with their receiver room overall. With seven selections to make at the 2024 NFL Draft, they are still likely to add another weapon to bolster their receiver depth. Even if they do, he'll fall in line behind George Pickens, the newly appointed leader of the Steelers wide receivers.

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