2022 NFL Draft: George Pickens Declaring Might Shake Up The Class

Georgia wide receiver George Pickens declared for the 2022 NFL Draft, a major shakeup for the class as a whole.

With the National Championship behind us, it was only a matter of time before more dominoes fell in terms of 2022 NFL Draft declarations. Some were obvious, like Jameson Williams, Evan Neal, and Nakobe Dean turning pro. Others were in question, like whether or no Travon Walker would declare. Then, there was Bulldogs WR George Pickens, who missed most of the season due to a torn ACL. He showed up in the SEC title game and in the playoff and caught a few passes, but the uncertainty still remained.

Pickens officially declared for the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, entering what is becoming a very good group. With guys like Garrett Wilson, Treylon Burks, Chris Olave, Jameson Williams, and Drake London at the top, receiver is a position that needy teams will be able to address early in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Pickens shakes this group up a bit. He has been talked up a lot by some draft analysts in the space, and his size, athleticism, catch radius, and body control make for an intriguing player. He’s shown explosion off the line of scrimmage and has sufficient speed to be a deep threat. Pickens can stack and win down the field, and uses his catch radius and strong hands to pluck the ball out of the air and make some tough plays.

Building around those traits will be important for Pickens. He needs to beat press at the next level, vary up his releases, and work on his route tree. However, there’s clear upside for him to be a very good “X” receiver in the NFL, and with a strong process, the early part of round two is a sweet spot for him in the 2022 NFL Draft.