Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens to coexist as WR1 options? Why duo’s complementary styles are perfect fit

The Dallas Cowboys now have one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL following the post-draft trade acquisition of the explosive George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers to pair with All-Pro CeeDee Lamb. 

So will they be able to coexist and not get frustrated if one eats into the other’s targets? A question many are likely wondering, given Pickens’ reputation of having a short fuse, and Lamb enjoying his ability to lead the NFL in targets over the last two seasons with 333 since 2023. That’s 11 more targets than the next-closest player, New York Jets wideout Garrett Wilson and his 322. 

Over the weekend, Lamb went on the record to make clear his position that he and Pickens will thrive together and not dim each other’s respective shine. 

“We’re both ones,” Lamb said at Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray’s charity softball game, via DLLS Cowboys. “It ain’t no A-B. None of that. It’s one. You look over there you see one. You look over here you see another one. So do what you got to do with that.” 

Obviously there’s more of a concern about Pickens dealing with being the Cowboys’ No. 2 receiver behind Lamb given Steelers Super Bowl champion head coach Mike Tomlin publicly challenged him to grow up last season. That came after Pickens was called for two personal foul penalties in Pittsburgh’s 44-38 road win at the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13 last season. 

A day after Dallas acquired Pickens in a trade, he said on a Cowboys conference call that he’s taking his personal growth “one day at time” and that he’s “just trying to build a winning culture.” As for his paring with Lamb, Pickens said back on May 8 that “excites” him. 

“CeeDee is a super dynamic receiver, super dynamic person, player,” Pickens said on May 8. “I just feel like schematically you won’t be able to double everybody. So that will be a great thing for me and him. … It excites me a lot because in the game of football, we can work off each other. There’s no ‘Oh, he gets the ball, I get the ball.’ We’re working off each other. That’s why I always come back to building a winning culture, and that’s what we’ve kind of been talking about in Dallas.”   

Here’s why this dynamic Dallas duo will work, schematically, for the Cowboys and both young wideouts in 2025. Lamb has been doing much of his work over the middle of the field and out of the slot the last two seasons. He leads the NFL in catches (114) and receiving yards (1,377) out of the slot since 2023. That’s why his reception heat map in 2024 from TruMedia, as you can see below, is glowing bright yellow over the middle of the field. 

Pickens also put up high-flying production over the last two years albeit in a different area of the field. He is averaging 16.7 yards per reception across the last two seasons, a figure that leads the entire NFL among 61 players with at least 110 catches since 2023. Dallas desperately needed a field stretcher opposite Lamb to loosen up the double teams their resident All-Pro has been facing. That’s something Pickens can certainly do as a downfield deep threat: his 12 catches of 30 or more air yards in 2024 were the second-most in a single season since 2006 when the stat first began being tracked, per CBS Sports Research. Quarterback Dak Prescott now possesses two top-shelf receivers in his arsenal for the first time since 2021. That’s when five-time Pro Bowler Amari Cooper was last in Dallas. That year, Prescott threw a career-high 37 touchdowns. Prescott, Lamb and Pickens can all benefit in a major way as a trio with Lamb’s and Pickens’ play styles being each other’s yin and yang. 

Pickens’ reception heat map since 2023 reflects what Pickens said about his downfield prowess when CBS Sports asked about that production back on May 8. He can thrive where he’s asked to thrive, and the Steelers asked him to be that downfield playmaker, an area that glows bright yellow on his heat map, via TruMedia. It would make sense for new Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer to ask Pickens to fill a similar role with the Cowboys. 

“Just trying to catch every pass. I kind of embrace myself and hone in on that when I’m on the field. Whether that’s a slant, the last couple of years it’s been go balls, so that’s why I led the category in that, but just definitely trying to catch every pass,” Pickens said in response to CBS Sports when asked about his deep-ball production.  

So what will Pickens’ role be in Dallas’ offense? WR1B, WR2? He echoed Lamb’s comments almost exactly with how he spoke about his role with the Cowboys in 2025. Safe to say both have the proper headspace and complementary play styles to make this tandem triumphant in Dallas in the upcoming season. 

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“I’m just here to work,” Pickens said on May 8 when asked about what his expected role will be and how he will be as a teammate. “Whatever role finds me is where I’ll find myself. … Bringing a lot of guys along [will be how I’ll be as a teammate]. Me winning the championship at Georgia, I definitely know how to win. … Making the playoffs with the Steelers, I’m definitely knowing the formula to make it to the next level. Just bringing what I know already with what these guys know already.”