George Pickens trade grades: Did Cowboys give up too much for enigmatic WR?

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The Pittsburgh Steelers tradeed wide receiver George Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder.

Why they made the move

The Steelers had been looking to move Pickens for a while now, deciding his off-field antics weren’t worth the high-end ability on the field. The three-year veteran has tallied 174 receptions, 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns in his career and is a big-play threat with rare athleticism, but Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has publicly called out the receiver for being immature.

The Cowboys, conversely, have desperately needed to upgrade their skill positions. Pickens immediately slides in as quarterback Dak Prescott’s No. 2 receiver behind superstar CeeDee Lamb. They Cowboys have a more explosive group as a result, but there’s long-term risk if Pickens wears out his welcome in Dallas, especially going into the final year of his rookie contract.

Cowboys trade grade: C

The Cowboys paid a steep price to solve a clear need. If it works out, Pickens wakes up, signs an extension and produces for years, this trade grade will need a big bump. But it’s reasonable to be skeptical that’ll happen.

Word leaked during the draft Pickens was available if anyone wanted him. Some teams polled by The Athletic at the time laughed at the idea of inviting Pickens into their locker room for any price at all, let alone a second-day draft pick. There wasn’t a lot of interest in talking with the Steelers about a trade.

It’s on Pickens to prove them wrong. If he does, the trade will be a home run. Other teams need to see it to believe it.

Steelers trade: B+

The return is higher than expected, but the Steelers had to wait a year to get it. Of course, the initial hope was to acquire a pick in last month’s draft, but they would have had to take less compensation to do so.

On the other hand, the extra third-round pick could be really valuable at the trade deadline. That’s usually enough to get a premium player if the Steelers are in playoff contention. It also could be a pick the Steelers use to help move up for a quarterback in next year’s NFL Draft.

Speaking of quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers remains the elephant in the room. He’s their presumed quarterback for 2025, if he ever signs with them, and the Steelers made his job harder on Sundays without Pickens on the roster. Still, it’s one less distraction for Rodgers to worry about as he focuses on a passing attack centered around wideout the recently acquired DK Metcalf and tight end Pat Freiermuth.

(Photo: Barry Reeger / Imagn Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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