WR Diontae Johnson drew a team-high 13 targets in QB Kenny Pickett's starting debut Sunday at Buffalo. Pittsburgh attempted a season-high 52 passes in the lopsided loss, but Johnson's looks marked a 25% share. He caught 5 for 60 yards. Chase Claypool followed with 9 targets, catching 5 for 50 yards. Rookie George Pickens led the team in receptions (6) and receiving yards (83) while ranking 3rd in targets (8). Pickens' rate of targets per route (16.7%) was actually down from the previous 2 games: 30.8% and 24.1%.
The Steelers are moving forward with Kenny Pickett as their starting QB, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It's the logical move after the rookie led Pittsburgh to a pair of TDs in the 2nd half of Sunday's loss to the Jets. Pickett tossed 3 INTs in that one -- but 1 went of TE Pat Freiermuth's hands and the other was an end-of-game Hail Mary. Pickett sits 12th among 34 QBs in Pro Football Focus' Week 4 passing grades (with the Monday night game still to go). He's only an option in 2-QB fantasy leagues for now, but we think he'll be an upgrade over QB Mitchell Trubisky for this Pittsburgh offense. Of course, it'll be tough sledding this weekend in Buffalo
Steelers WR Diontae Johnson led the team with 12 targets in the opener, claiming 31.6% of Pittsburgh's total pass attempts. Johnson caught 7 for 55 yards. WR Chase Claypool drew 6 looks, catching 4 for a mere 18 yards. Rookie George Pickens followed with 3, catching 1 but drawing defensive PI to negate a 4th target. That trio operated as the team's clear top 3 WRs. We'll see whether the QB play can improve to enhance the output going forward. Claypool added 6 rushing attempts for a team-high 36 yards, with a (supposedly minor) ankle injury limiting RB Najee Harris' playing time.
Steelers WR Diontae Johnson (shoulder) was non-committal on his availability for this weekend's opener vs. the Bengals when asked on Wednesday. "I'm doing everything I can and get back to the guys one day at a time," he said. Johnson banged up his shoulder in the preseason finale and said he could not have returned to that game even if it had been the regular season. We'll track his practice participation over the next few days. Johnson's absence would obviously be a big boost to the target projections on George Pickens, Chase Claypool and Pat Freiermuth.
ESPN's Brooke Pryor says the Steelers are "likely to push the ball down the field more than in recent years." That would obviously be good for the fantasy football upside for everyone in the passing game (except maybe RB Najee Harris), but it would be an especially positive development for rookie WR George Pickens and 3rd-year WR Chase Claypool. Pickens has generated seemingly nonstop buzz in camp, while Claypool has displayed his downfield talent through 2 pro seasons. Both look attractive in reserve territory of fantasy football drafts.
Steelers WR Chase Claypool (shoulder) returned to practice on Monday. He ended up missing 9 days. Claypool is still the favorite to open the season as Pittsburgh's #2 WR, but rookie George Pickens is pushing hard.
"If the first three practices are any indication, George Pickens is going to be a huge factor in this [Steelers] offense," ESPN's Brooke Pryor tweeted on Friday. It reads a little hyperbolic, but Pickens has been creating consistent buzz from multiple Steelers beat writers early in camp. And we loved him as a prospect, so we wouldn't be surprised to see him make a significant rookie-year impact. Highlight Pickens as an intriguing late-round flier in fantasy drafts.
Steelers beat writer Chris Adamski described WR George Pickens as the “clear WR3” early in training camp. As expected. Pickens’ raw talent has flashed early on, but it’ll likely take something close to a flawless performance over the coming weeks to overtake Chase Claypool. Pickens remains an intriguing redraft stash and best ball flier.
Steelers beat writer Chris Adamski believes WR George Pickens is in position to play a “significant role” by the end of the 2022 season. Patience might be key here, as he's coming off a March 2021 ACL tear. (Pickens, however, managed to appear in 4 games with Georgia last year.) While his size (6’3, 200), speed (4.47 forty) and early breakout age (18.5) signal a potential difference-maker, targets will be tough to earn early on. Current 2022 WR projections have him down for 63 targets.
Steelers OC Matt Canada commented on rookie WR George Pickens. “He can go down the field, he can make plays, he goes up and gets the football… we were impressed with his hands -- all those things you like about a wideout,” Canada said. “But I think probably for me sitting here, I think that [returning from a torn ACL late last season] said a lot about his character. He wanted to be part of that team, he wanted to be part of that championship and he fought to come back.” Pickens declared himself 100% healthy earlier this month. His 2022 path to targets isn’t clear, but it's easy to see him carving out a decent-sized role as the season develops. He’s currently our WR90 in redraft.
Speaking at rookie OTAs, Steelers WR Calvin Austin said his weight fluctuates between 170-175 pounds. At 5’8 and even 175, he’ll likely struggle to see a full-time role — even a few years down the line. Pittsburgh also added Georgia WR George Pickens in Round 2, and he’ll join a strong top-2 of Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool. Johnson does enter a contract year, so Austin could be setup for a 2nd-year bump. Still, odds are, he’ll provide more real-life value than fantasy value. At Memphis, Austin returned 2 punts for scores on 29 opportunities.
The Steelers added Georgia WR George Pickens with the 52nd overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Pickens was a 5-star recruit and a top-5 WR in the 2019 class. He immediately delivered on that hype, leading the Bulldogs in catches (49), yards (727) and TDs (8) as a true freshman. He ranked 17th in Pro Football Focus’ receiving grades among 290 WRs with 50+ targets – 2 spots ahead of Jerry Jeudy and 3 spots ahead of Justin Jefferson. Pickens improved his per-game numbers a tad in 2020, averaging 4.5 catches, 64.1 yards and .75 TDs across 8 games. But his PFF receiving grade took a significant step back, landing 75th among 146 qualifying WRs. Pickens’ 2021 was then basically wiped out by a torn right ACL suffered in March of that year. He made it back for the final 4 games of the season but totaled just 4 catches. That freshman year is enticing, though, and Pickens pops on tape. He has long-striding speed, a big catch radius and is physical after the catch. The 6’3, 195-pounder earned a 94th percentile Relative Athletic Score at the Combine. Pickens’ limited college resume leaves him as a risky prospect. But he has the upside to develop into a #1 WR in the NFL. Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool are locked in as Pittsburgh’s top 2 WRs in the short term, but Pickens has a good shot to win the #3 WR job this summer. Longer term, Johnson is is the final year of his contract and Claypool is set to hit free agency in 2024.
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