Dez Bryant caught his final pass for the Dallas Cowboys about five years before George Pickens hauled in his first NFL catch with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With Pickens set to join Jerry Jones’ team, he steps into the shoes once worn by the former Cowboys star. One NFL insider suggested the Cowboys could have the same success with Pickens that they had with Bryant.
Dez Bryant Is the Example Cowboys Hope To Duplicate With George Pickens
Speaking on the May 8 edition of “NFL Spotlight With Ari Meirov,” the eponymous insider said he believes Jerry Jones sees Pickens as someone who could follow in Bryant’s footsteps.
“I think Jerry Jones, who made this trade, thinks back to the fact that when they drafted Dez Bryant, nobody wanted to draft Dez Bryant. They took him in the first round, and what a success he became. They think they could probably do that with George Pickens over here, despite those … similar concerns that Dez Bryant had years ago when he was drafted.”
Of course, Pickens wasn’t exactly unwanted in the 2022 NFL Draft, but he was taken 52nd overall by the Steelers in Round 2 despite hard-to-deny talent. It’s possible Meirov’s point was more about how long the Steelers have been shopping him, especially following the DK Metcalf trade.
Bryant’s Bar Leaves Pressure for Pickens
To compare Pickens to Bryant, it helps to look at how both careers began, especially as Pickens heads into Year 4.
Bryant posted fewer receiving yards than Pickens in each of their first two seasons. But Pickens fell behind in his third year. Bryant racked up 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns in his third season. Pickens, by comparison, finished with 900 yards and three scores.
It’s now up to the Dallas Cowboys to help Pickens catch up. Bryant followed his third season with two more seasons with at least 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns in each, peaking with a league-high 16 scores in Year 5.
Pickens has the benefit of sharing the field with CeeDee Lamb, which could ease some of the pressure and draw coverage away. In that sense, some might argue the expectations for Pickens are less than what they were for Bryant heading into Year 4, as he is not expected to be the team’s best receiver.
Time will tell if Pickens can meet or raise the bar. With a fresh start in Dallas, a talented supporting cast, and plenty of eyes on him, Pickens has every chance to carve out his legacy.
