Kenny Pickett believes George Pickens can be one of the NFL's top receivers

Pittsburgh’s youth got the better of them in 2022, but the Steelers are expected to have that corrected with a more polished product on the field this season. After all, you can’t teach experience.

The Steelers’ promising young offensive core is highlighted by three players — QB Kenny Pickett, WR George Pickens and RB Najee Harris. Pickett and Pickens, however, have the potential to become one of the league’s next top duos in the coming seasons if they stay together.

“George could be a top guys in the league, no doubt,” Pickett said on Green Light with Chris Long. “There are probably three catches in practice that stick out to me that were better than ones everyone saw during the season. His natural ability — his floor is so high based on his natural ability.

“Now, we’ve put together a nice route package for him. He continues to work on his game and we work on our continuity together. I’m really excited to play with him again heading into year two.”

During his first season in Pittsburgh, the former Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver showed why many teams were interested in his services. Pickens caught 52 passes over his rookie season, amassing 801 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Route packages specifically for Pickens will only improve these numbers, as it gives the former Georgia star more first-read looks when Pickett drops back to pass.

As for Pickett, he was able to help lead his team to a 9-8 season during his rookie year. He threw for 2,404 yards but had a hard time finding the end zone on a consistent basis, throwing seven touchdowns compared to nine interceptions. He added an additional 237 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Pickett started in 13 of the Steelers’ 17 games, sitting behind Mitch Trubisky for the first four games of the season while still getting acclimated to the NFL. He would lose four of his first five starts, but ended the season on a hot streak, leading Pittsburgh to five-straight wins when he was able to play the full game.

Many believe the duo are just scratching the surface of how special they can be in Pittsburgh. After years of Ben Roethlisberger lighting up the field, a youth movement has taken place. Nevertheless, Pickett and Pickens can bring back memories of Roethlisberger and his standout receivers over the years like Antonio Brown and Hines Ward.