CeeDee Lamb, Dez Bryant Appear to Hint At Cowboys' Pickens Trade Hours Before Deal

The Dallas Cowboys made a major splash by acquiring wide receiver George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday morning, but it appears that a few people knew about the deal beforehand.

Hours before ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the trade, Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb and former wideout Dez Bryant both posted tweets indicating that they knew Pickens was on his way to Dallas:

The Cowboys announced that they sent a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Steelers in exchange for Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick. The deal ends Dallas' search for a reliable No. 2 receiver to pair with Lamb, which was a priority for the team this offseason.

"We're still open to looking at a really explosive number two that could upgrade us," executive vice president Stephen Jones said at the league meetings in March. "But as I said, I like our room and certainly like the players we currently have."

The Cowboys missed out on selecting Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 12 pick in last month's draft, as he was chosen by the Carolina Panthers with the No. 8 pick. Despite the team's glaring need for a wideout, Dallas didn't address the position in the remaining six rounds of the draft.

Acquiring Pickens gives the Cowboys a big-bodied target who can stretch the field. In his three years in Pittsburgh, he averaged 16.3 yards per catch, including leading the NFL with 18.1 ypc in 2023. This past season, he finished with 59 receptions for 900 yards and three touchdowns.

Lamb had a dominant campaign once again in 2024 with 101 catches for 1,194 yards and six touchdowns on 152 targets. No other Dallas player had 60 catches, 650 receiving yards or 90 targets.

Pickens' presence should open up even more opportunities for Lamb, giving the Cowboys one of the most potent receiving duos in the league in 2025.