2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: George Pickens

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George Pickens, 6-2/200 Wide Receiver Georgia

George Pickens Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Playmaker

Quality height and length

Beats defensive backs for contested catches

Enough speed to challenge defenses

Second-gear speed

Can generate vertical separation

Tracks the ball well

Straight-line speed

Body control

Leaping ability

Attacks the football

Quick feet

Can work as a possession receiver

Has some strength

Makes plays downfield

Good body control to make tough sideline catches

Yards-after-the-catch ability

Third-down weapon

Capable of producing splash plays

Weaknesses:

Coming off torn ACL

Never had a season of big production

Summary: Georgia has recruited a lot of star players under Kirby Smart, and Pickens looked like he might be the Bulldogs best receiver since A.J. Green. Pickens had an impressive debut as a freshman, catching 49 passes for 727 yards and eight touchdowns. In 2020, Georgia struggled with a revolving cast of quarterbacks, holding Pickens hauling to 36 catches for 513 yards and six touchdowns. Disaster then struck for Pickens in the spring of 2021 when he torn an ACL in preseason workouts.

Pickens, hoewver, made it his mission to return, and he made it back to play in the final three games of the 2021 season, catching five passes for 107 yards, including a 52-yard reception that helped Georgia beat Alabama in the National Championship. Pickens’ determination was commendable, and it is impressive Pickens came back to play in 2021. Many others players would have just shut things down and just started preparing for the NFL draft.



Pickens has the potential to be a lead No. 1 receiver at the next level. He is a linear wideout who makes plays downfield and has deceptive speed for a receiver of his size. Pickens is very good at making contested catches over defensive backs thanks to his impressive body control, agility, and strong hands. With his leaping ability and body control, Pickens could be a real weapon on the sideline. Pickens has good speed, but he isn’t a burner who is going to be a threat to score on any reception, like a Jaylen Waddle. Pickens may not be a receiver who is constantly finding separation, but he should be pretty capable to get open going against NFL defensive backs.

Sources with multiple teams really like Pickens. They feel he would have been a definite first-round pick if hadn’t been injured with the ACL last spring. Coming off the injury and barely playing in 2021, team sources believe Pickens could be an early second-round pick. If he stays healthy and plays up to his potential, Pickens could be a second-day steal from the 2022 NFL Draft.



Player Comparison: DeVante Parker Team sources have said Pickens reminds them of Parker when Parker has played well for the Dolphins. Parker was a first-round pick in 2015, and Pickens would have been a first-rounder if he had avoided injury in the spring of 2021.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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