George Pickens Poised for a Make or Break Year originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Dallas Cowboys added an explosive weapon at wide receiver when they acquired George Pickens from the Steelers this offseason. Pickens brings top-15 wideout potential to Dallas who already houses a top-three wide receiver in CeeDee Lamb.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell lists Pickens as an offseason acquisition who could either break out or flop.

“Pickens is moving from one of the league’s least pass-happy offenses to one of its most. The Cowboys threw at the third-highest rate in neutral game scripts on early downs before Dak Prescott went down with a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9. The Steelers ranked 25th by the same metric over that span. Dallas also plays at a faster pace than Pittsburgh, something likely to continue with Brian Schottenheimer taking over as coach,” Barnwell wrote.

Pickens is entering a situation in Dallas where he’ll be playing with the best quarterback he’s ever played with in his young career. Prescott displays exceptional ball placement and timing on slants, digs, and back-shoulder fades—all routes that are heavily featured in the route tree of Pickens.

“With CeeDee Lamb operating out of the slot, the Cowboys have needed an “X” receiver since they moved on from Amari Cooper before the 2022 season. Between Cooper and Dez Bryant, Prescott had that big, physical receiver on the outside for most of his career. Pickens should be that guy,” Barnwell wrote.

All of this gives us three reasons why this can work …

1 – The pass-happy pace.

2 – The physical fit.

3 – The contract-year status.

The 24-year-old Alabama native stands 6-3 and 200 pounds, and could serve as a reliable target in one-on-one red-zone opportunities. … and playing alongside Lamb should have plenty of one-on-one coverage chances.

And that Point No. 3?

This upcoming season is a contract year for Pickens – heavy with behavioral baggage from his Pittsburgh says – and if he performs at an elite level, it will set him up for a gigantic pay raise that we bet can be in excess of $28 million per year.

Related: Cowboys Pickens Trade Receives Intense Scouting Report from NFL MVP

Related: Cowboys 1st Look In Photos at ‘Goodfellas’ Lamb and Pickens Eye ‘1,000-Yard Club’

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.