Heading into the 2021 college football season, you’d be hard pressed to find a more physically dominant receiver than Georgia’s George Pickens. In his first two seasons, Pickens flashed the ability to bully opposing corners and take over games.

2021 was set to be a breakout year for him to potentially jump him into the WR1 discussion, but as many of us already know that didn’t end up being the case.

Unfortunately, Pickens tore his ACL just four days into spring practice, putting his 2022 season into serious doubt. Fortunately, in wildly unforeseen fashion, Pickens ended up not only making a full recovery, but also managing to get a fair share of snaps in Georgia’s last four games. Pickens finished his Georgia career with a somewhat disappointing 90 catches for 1,347 yards and 14 TDs. Not bad numbers, but just scratching the surface of where he could be had he stayed healthy.

Strengths

There’s a ton to like about Pickens as a player, both physically and technically.

Pickens can jump with pretty much anybody. His 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame combined with freakishly long arms make him a matchup nightmare for most teams. Additionally, Pickens has a rare ability to attack the ball at a high point and maximize his insane catch radius. Pickens hauled in just under 50% of contested catch attempts in his college career.

With the ball in his hands, Pickens is remarkably good for someone of his size. Pickens moves very well for a bigger WR, and he frequently sheds off first contact when he has the chance. From a production standpoint, we haven’t really seen him get many chances in the open field, but when he got the opportunity, positive results seemed to follow. Pickens finished his college career with a somewhat disappointing 314 yards after catch, equaling 3.5 yards after catch per reception.

Finally, it’s worth noting that Pickens is a nasty run blocker. Not something you always see stand out with modern receiver prospects, but Pickens made it clear he was able to contribute in both phases of the offense.

Weaknesses

While it’s not his fault, it’s still impossible to ignore the lack of production with Pickens. 90/1,347/14 would be an amazing single season, but for an entire three-year career? It’s hard not to second guess Pickens’ draft projection.

One notable observation on film is that Pickens doesn’t really possess “burners” like some WRs in this class. While he isn’t slow on cuts, his acceleration off the line is average at best. I would expect Pickens to run somewhere in the 4.5 range.

Pickens also hasn’t displayed a true route tree yet. The ability is evident, but he didn’t really showcase a huge variety of routes at Georgia. It could be a bit of a uphill climb for him to adjust to an NFL offense right away. Per PFF, Pickens recorded just five receptions over 20 yards downfield in 2020.

Lastly, it could be argued Pickens doesn’t really play as strong as his massive frame implies. A strong press can frequently neutralize his bully ball style of play. It would do wonders if he could create more separation at the point of attack as he enters the next level.

Pickens has also garnered a reputation of being a bit of a hothead during games. I find it to be a positive that he’s such a great competitor, but causing fights definitely isn’t a great look. Nonetheless, this shouldn’t affect his draft position much.

Overall, Pickens is as big a wild card as we might see in this draft. While he’s flashed the ability to be something truly special, it’s hard to look past a significant lack of production.

If the physicals test out and he has a strong combine, we could see him sneak into the back end of the first round, but realistically early second seems like his stock at the moment.

In terms of comparisons, I see a lot of DeVante Parker in Pickens. Both possess the same massive frame and similar attacking play styles. I do think Pickens could end up being a better player, but there’s also a chance he flops just as easily.