Forget the local stuff, George Pickens is a significantly better receiver than
Moore is. It’s not close.
On 30 Apr 2022, at 02:22, Scott H <blitzum@xxxxxxx> wrote:
So lots of pressure on the first two picks, as is usual
Kenny is beloved for his time at Pitt but now is in the big leagues trying to
not only unseat two veterans but replace an 18 year future HOF QB. Likely a
genuine split of loving or hating the pick and he also come into a division
with 3 stud QBs.
Pickens will be compared to Sky Moore since the the passed over the local guy
, which honestly surprised me, and there will be a lot of eyes on his
temperament. Lots of people noting attitude and people already mentioning AB.
Let’s hope to both rise above the drama and prove the team right
On Apr 29, 2022, at 8:50 PM, Streetr <stlrmn1@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
8. GEORGE PICKENS | Georgia 6032 | 195 lbs. | JR. Hoover, Ala. (Hoover)
3/4/2001 (age 21.15) #1
BACKGROUND: George Pickens Jr., who goes by his middle name “Malik” with his
family, grew up in central Alabama and attended Hoover High. After playing
on the
freshman team in 2015, he starred on the junior varsity team as a sophomore
and moved up to varsity as a backup later in the season. As a junior,
Pickens earned
First Team All-State honors with 46 receptions for 735 yards and five
touchdowns, adding a pair of punt-return touchdowns. He helped lead Hoover
to the 2018
league title and finished his senior year with 69 catches for 1,368 yards
and 16 touchdowns, along with a kick-return touchdown. Pickens earned Under
Armour All-
American and First Team All-State honors and was a finalist for the Class 7A
Player of the Year award.
A five-star recruit out of high school, Pickens was the No. 4 wide receiver
in the 2019 recruiting class (No. 24 overall) and the No. 1 recruit in the
state of Alabama. He
started receiving scholarship offers as a sophomore (before he became a
varsity starter as a junior), and Auburn made him a priority from the start.
Pickens
committed to the Tigers in July 2017 while also considering offers from
Georgia, LSU, Miami and Tennessee. After a year-and-a-half commitment to
Auburn, he
surprised many by flipping to Georgia on signing day. It marked back-to-back
years that the top-ranked recruit in Alabama left the state for college
(Justyn Ross in
2018). Pickens’ older brother (Chris Humes) was a defensive back at Arkansas
State (2012-16) and spent time with the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free
agent
before playing two seasons with the CFL’s Winnipeg Bombers. Pickens elected
to skip his senior season and enter the 2022 NFL Draft.
YEAR (GP/GS) REC YDS AVG TD DROP NOTES
2019: (14/2) 49 727 14.8 8 0 Freshman All-SEC; Sugar Bowl MVP; Led team in
receiving; UGA Freshman receiving record
2020: (8/8) 36 513 14.3 6 3 Led team in receptions, receiving TDs; Missed
two games because of an upper-body injury
2021: (4/0) 5 107 21.4 0 0 Missed the first 11 games because of a knee injury
Total: (26/10) 90 1,347 15.0 14 3
HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP
COMBINE 6032 195 32 3/8 8 3/4 77 3/8 4.47 2.57 1.50 33 10’5” - - - (no
shuttles or bench press — choice)
PRO DAY 6031 200 31 7/8 9 3/8 78 1/2 - - - 34 1/2 - - - - (vertical jump
only — choice)
STRENGTHS: Tall, long athlete with growth potential ... has both short-area
quickness and deep speed ... wins over the top with the ball-tracking skills
to go and get
the football ... graceful in midair to make full-extension grabs ...
comfortable catching the ball away from his frame ... makes tight, 90-degree
cuts to square off routes
... sinks and snaps hips on comebacks ... fluid at the stem to hit another
gear on post or corner routes ... works back to the ball at all three levels
... 71.1 percent of
career catches resulted in a first down or touchdown ... powers through
press and plays with some dog to him ... looked like he belonged in the SEC
the moment he
arrived in Athens as a true freshman ... experienced lining up inside,
outside and all over the formation.
WEAKNESSES: Lean-framed, and would benefit from continuing to add bulk ...
will lose body position to physical cornerbacks downfield ... still learning
how to be a
more precise route runner ... has some wasted steps or momentum in route
setup, and needs to develop better consistency ... excessive steps vs.
press, and learning
how to be more efficient at the line ... occasionally allows throws to get
on top of him ... only average post-catch acceleration, and not very elusive
... willing blocker,
but falls off contact quickly ... had several immature moments early in his
career: ejected from a game as a freshman for trading punches with a Georgia
Tech
defender, and was suspended for a half the following game (November 2019);
was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for spraying water on a Tennessee
player on
the sideline (October 2020) ... missed most of the 2021 season because of a
torn ACL in his right knee during 2021 spring practices (March 2021).
SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Georgia, Pickens was the X receiver in
offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s balanced scheme. Shortly after he
enrolled, Bulldogs’
coaches said he was the most talented receiver on the roster, and he didn’t
disappoint (led the team in receiving in 2019 with several freshman
receiving records),
but his past two seasons were marred by injuries, most notably his 2021 ACL
tear. Pickens is a balanced athlete, with fluidity at the stem and the
wheels to win
vertically, skillfully tracking the deep ball. While his competitiveness is
a plus, he lacks discipline in several areas of the position and lost a year
of on-field
development because of his injury. Overall, Pickens has a discount sticker
on him after missing most of the 2021 season, but he is a graceful athlete
with
outstanding ball-tracking and 50-50 finishing skills. He has WR1 traits and
potential if he returns to pre-injury form and continues to refine his
routes.
GRADE: 2nd Round (No. 47 overall)
