George Pickens NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for Georgia WR

HEIGHT: 6'3 1/4"

WEIGHT: 195

HAND: 8 3/4"

ARM: 32 3/8"

WINGSPAN: 6'5 3/8"

40-YARD DASH: 4.47

3-CONE: DNP

SHUTTLE: DNP

VERTICAL: 33"

BROAD: 10'5"

POSITIVES

— Good height with long arms for the position.

— Very good play strength that he utilizes on his releases and when fighting through contact on his routes.

— Trusts his hands and has a wide catching range with his long arms.

— Physical and competitive player. Willing blocker who plays with an attitude.

— Able to consistently sink at the top of his routes.

— Has some twitch with the ball in his hands. Can make a defender miss with a quick spin or juke. Able to consistently turn sharply on routes.

— Has buildup long speed. But mostly wins by being a ball-winner on back-shoulder type throws.

NEGATIVES

— Average route-runner at this point in time. Has ability to tap into but will need polish.

— Average burst when coming off the ball.

2021 STATISTICS

4 G, 5 REC, 107 YDS (21.4 AVG)

NOTES

— Injured and had surgery on ACL in 2021 spring practice.

OVERALL

Pickens is a long outside wide receiver with good size and play strength. He plays with a competitive streak that shows up when he is attacking the ball in the air and in the run game as a blocker.

Pickens' hand-eye coordination and balance show up when he's tracking deep throws and on contested catches. He is a natural catcher of the football and can consistently contort his body and haul in throws at all angles.

Pickens flashes the ability to sink on his route, but he can get stuck or stumble at times when breaking. He'll need continued refinement with his route-running details. He also flashes quick-twitch athleticism with the ball in his hands and is able to make the first defender miss with his agility as well as play strength.

Pickens can be a bit lackadaisical with his tempo coming off the ball, but he has enough long speed to threaten defenders vertically. But he wins as a ball-winner more than a burner.

Overall, Pickens has the ability to be a No. 2 outside-only wide receiver in the NFL. He has the size, ball skills and enough athleticism to be an X receiver who primarily runs a vertical route tree, which will also allow him to use his body strength and catching range. His size will translate into the red zone, and his blocking will be an asset right away.

NFL teams will have to assess his medical history to see if Pickens recovers to his 2020 ability and athleticism. If he's fully healthy and continues to add details to his route running, he will be a useful option for NFL offenses with some room to grow into a more featured role.

GRADE: 7.9 (Potential Impact Player - 2nd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 34

POSITION RANK: WR7

PRO COMPARISON: Mike Williams

Written by B/R NFL Scout Nate Tice