George Pickens Scouting Report: NFL Draft Prospect Report

George Pickens Georgia WR #1

Measurements

6’3” / 200 lbs.

40 time: 4.5 (estimated)

George Pickens Player Profile

According to 247sports, George Pickens is a former 5-star recruit out of Hoover High School in Hoover, Alabama. When looking up his stats, I could only find his stats from his senior year. According to MaxPreps, his senior year Pickens racked up a total of 654 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. These stats aren’t mind blowing for a 5-star recruit, but it is when I tell you he only played 5 games. Although his stats weren’t amazing, his raw talent was enough to attract 16 total offers. He visited a total of 5 schools, but was really only interested in two. Pickens initially committed to Auburn, but soon decommitted and committed to Georgia the same day. Given Georgia’s history of developing WR into Pro Bowl caliber players, I think this was a good move.

Pickens won’t be the only person in his family to make it in the NFL. His brother is Chris Humes, who currently plays in the CFL. His brother Chris went to Arkansas St. where he was a standout at the defensive back position. I could only imagine what the one-on-ones were like in the backyard growing up. Whatever they did to practice against each other, it obviously worked. Pickens was a 5-star recruit and I think he has his older brother to thank for that. With that being said, you obviously have to have a lot of natural ability to be a 5-star recruit.

He gets this natural ability from his dad, Carl Pickens, who played WR in the NFL for nine years. During his time with the Cincinnati Bengals, he actually held the record for the most touchdown receptions. This record was later broken by a very well-known Bengals receiver, Chad Johnson.

George Pickens Strengths

Route Running

Pickens has been a weapon for the Georgia offense for years. Pickens has been effective because of his amazing route running ability. His ability to change directions quickly is very impressive, especially considering he is 6’3″. As we have seen in the NFL, if you are a tall receiver and you are a good route runner, you have a bright future. The biggest example we have seen in today’s NFL is Julio Jones. With this being said, I don’t want you to think I am comparing Pickens to Jones. When watching Pickens’ film however, I keep seeing similarities in their games.

Vertical Threat

As I have noted throughout this report, Pickens is a freakish athlete. He does a fantastic job of using his size, speed and vertical to be a deadly weapon on the Bulldogs offense. Unfortunately, due to his ACL injury, he has not been able to see the field this season. This is rough for Pickens because this was his year to prove he belongs among the top wide receivers. Although he wasn’t able to put his skill on display this season, he’s still a top vertical threat in this class.

Strong Hands

Many people believe that a receiver should catch any ball that is thrown in their vicinity. That is not always the case because receivers aren’t perfect. However, Pickens’ hands are incredible. When watching his film, I kept realizing that his hands are both strong and soft. When making a catch, he does a good job of moving his hands to the ball to soften the catch. This is something NFL coaches love, because the ball will rarely bounce out of his hands.

Frame

Pickens’ frame is a huge reason why I think he has a future in the NFL. Receivers of his height are usually 15-20 lbs. heavier than Pickens. This may be seen as a weakness for some people, but can be viewed as a positive by others. Although his nimble frame doesn’t allow him to break through tackles, he can shed tackles. This is exactly what we are seeing from a rookie receiver this season, Ja’Marr Chase. Chase does a great job of using his small frame to his advantage and sheds many tackles a game. This is what Pickens should start to do, he needs to take advantage of his thinner frame. On the other hand, if Pickens thinks it is a good idea to put on weight, that will also benefit him. If Pickens goes from 200 lbs. to roughly 220, he will have a similar frame to JuJu Smith-Schuster.

George Pickens Weaknesses

Injury Prone

Throughout his entire career, Pickens has been very injury prone. I think the only reason why Pickens hasn’t flown up draft boards this season is because he hasn’t played. In March this year, he tore his ACL in practice and has yet to see the field since. In April, Pickens had reconstructive surgery. He is unlikely to see the field for the rest of the season. If I were him, I would make sure I was 100% for offseason workouts with NFL teams and the 2022 NFL Combine. If Pickens rushes back when he is not 100%, there is a good chance he could reinjure himself and hurt his draft stock even more.

Attitude

I have been watching Pickens from the moment he started his career at Georgia. There have been many instances where I have questioned his decision making and why he acted the way he did. For example, during the 2019 season he got suspended for violating team rules. For someone who could potentially be a leader in the locker room one day, this is not what you want to see.

George Pickens Draft Stock

Figuring out Pickens’ draft stock is very difficult at the moment. Pickens is easily a first round talent because he is a freakish athlete. But, due to his injury history, I think that he will slide down draft boards. At the moment, I think the earliest he will go in the draft is late first round. The latest I would take him would be mid-second round and that is only due to his injury history. Pickens’ stock will rise however if he looks 100% at workouts.

Final Thoughts on George Pickens NFL Draft Profile

Although Pickens has a history of being injury prone, he is still a fantastic receiver and has lots of potential. If Pickens wants a future in the NFL, he is going to have to take his health very seriously. We have seen many receivers’ potential get halted due to injuries and that is not what I want for Pickens. Finally, Pickens has all of the tools to make it in the NFL and potentially be a leader in the locker room.

George Pickens NFL Player Comparison

Early NFL Career Keenan Allen

George Pickens scouting report by Matthew Lewis