This offseason, the biggest move the Dallas Cowboys made was trading a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for wide receiver George Pickens and a 2027 sixth rounder. With Pickens entering the final season of his rookie contract, his time in Pittsburgh was nearing an end, so the team decided to move him instead of pairing him with D.K Metcalf for Aaron Rodgers to throw to.
However, the Steelers’ abandoned duo is Dallas’ gain, as Pickens will now star alongside CeeDee Lamb, with Dak Prescott throwing them the ball. With expectations already high for Pickens, because of the plays he’s made throughout his thee-year career, a recent prediction shows the wide receiver could surpass those expectations.
Kevin Patra, in a recent piece on NFL.com, predicted one potential first-time Pro Bowler for every NFC team. For the Cowboys, Pickens was the name Patra landed on.
Geoege Pickens predicted to make first Pro Bowl in year one with Cowboys
Patra detailed how Pickens has struggled with consistency throughout his career, but argues that playing with Lamb could solve that problem for him. If that happens, Dallas will have another elite receiver routinely showcasing his skills.
"When he's on, Pickens remains an elite talent with the ability to make jaw-dropping catches and leave corners in his dust. The issue for him in Pittsburgh was never skill, it was consistency -- he had more games with less than 40 receiving yards (18) than he did games with 80-plus (14). Now that he's playing a complementary role to Lamb, we just might see the best out of Pickens."
Pickens has posted 174 receptions for 2,842 yards and 12 touchdowns in his three-year career, but he has never made the Pro Bowl. In addition to playing with Lamb likely helping his production, Patra points out how Dak Prescott will be the best quarterback Pickens has ever played with. That will also help him have the best season of his career.
Based on what the young receiver has shown so far in training camp, this doesn’t even seem like a bold prediction. The play-making skills that he flashed in Pittsburgh have been consistently on display in Cowboys training camp. If that continues into the season, Pickens will be a Pro Bowler for the first time.