George Pickens betting on himself as he aims to showcase speed at NFL Combine
Former Georgia wide receiver George Pickens met with the media Wednesday at the NFL Combine, and it’s safe to say that he expects to open some eyes with his performance Thursday and Friday.
Pickens, a former five-star according to the On3 Consensus Rankings, said that he aims to run a 4.3 or 4.4 in the 40-yard dash, a number that might come as a surprise to many, especially for a player coming off of an ACL injury.
“Probably a 4.3, 4.4, and people don’t really know that,” Pickens said. “Me just saying that number, people are like, ‘Whoa.”
Pickens also said that he’s at 100% and will be a full participant in the Combine, minus doing the broad jump which he’ll wait to do at Georgia Pro Day.
A projected second-round pick according to the NFL Mock Draft Database, Pickens has reportedly met with teams such as the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers. However, his production, when at his fullest potential, is that of a first-round talent, and he’s confident in his ability to say the least.
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“I’m very confident,” Pickens said according to Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema when he was asked about whether he’s a first-round pick. “I know I can present to teams exactly what a first-round pick is.”
Pickens caught just five passes in 2021 coming back from suffering a torn ACL during spring practice. He was able to return for the final four games of the season, making a couple of highlight reel type plays to remind folks of what he’s capable of. As a freshman in 2019, he came on strong when Georgia needed it most with Lawrence Cager sidelined due to injury. Two touchdowns against Missouri and a score in each of the final four games, including a career-performance of 12 catches and 175 yards in the Allstate Sugar Bowl versus Baylor, gave hope for a strong second season. However, no spring practice due to COVID-19, a new offensive coordinator and some quarterback struggles once against caused Pickens to come on slow in 2020. Once again though, he ended the season strong with two of his best performances, going for over 125 yards against both Missouri and Cincinnati, helping the Bulldogs to a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win over the Bearcats.
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