The day that NFL fans have been waiting for is finally here: the NFL Draft will start tonight on ESPN at 8:00 p.m. E.T.
Tonight will be filled with shock and surprise, but one of the biggest moves could be the Dallas Cowboys potentially trading George Pickens, a move that has been reaffirmed by legendary wide receiver Chad Johnson.
Multiple Sources Tease Potential George Pickens Trade
With the 52nd overall pick in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted wide receiver George Pickens out of the University of Georgia. After three productive seasons with the Steelers, Pittsburgh traded him and a sixth-round pick for a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick.
Pickens was expected to come in as the team’s WR2, but showed the flashes and the prowess of being a WR1 in the wake of CeeDee Lamb’s injury issues.
In his first season with the team, Pickens caught 93 receptions for 1,429 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns (All of which were career highs). In PFSN’s NFL Wide Receiver Impact Metric, he ranked as the third-best wide receiver with an impact score of 88.4 and a letter grade of B+.
The 2025 NFL season was the final year of Pickens’ rookie contract, and instead of signing to a long-term contract, Jones and company franchised him. Instead of the long-term contract, he’ll now earn a little north of $27 million for one year.
The franchise tag leaves room for negotiation, but that won’t be the case with the Cowboys in Pickens. Ahead of the July 15 deadline, the team revealed that they won’t sign Pickens to a multiyear extension. Cowboys Executive Vice President Stephen Jones said, “We’ve made a decision that we’re going to have George Pickens play under the franchise tag, which won’t be a first for us. So there won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal.”
Now, one reputable source says the Cowboys are interested in moving up in the first round. Rickey Scoops, who in the past has correctly reported many potential moves, posted, “BARKING RUMOR: The Cowboys are trying to move up in the first round so they can draft a WR.”
BARKING RUMOR: The #Cowboys are trying to move up in the first round so they can draft a WR #NFLDraft #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/X7CCCYZ79P
— Rickey (@RickeyScoops) April 23, 2026
Johnson added fuel to the fire by posting, “George Pickens will be happy today.” The Cincinnati Bengals legend’s comments indicate that Pickens could potentially get traded elsewhere and get a lucrative contract extension which he might not be able to get in Dallas.
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Last season, the Cowboys’ offense ranked sixth in the NFL, with an impact score of 84.8 and a letter grade of B in PFSN’s NFL Offensive Impact Metric. Pickens played a major part in the team’s offensive successes.
Would it be better to trade Pickens and draft a cheaper alternative with longer control, or should Jones and company bust out the checkbook for a long-term contract?
