Halicke: The Pickens breakout is very real

There were a few moments in which the Steelers nearly acquired Brandon Aiyuk from the 49ers. That would have not only accomplished the goal of adding a second receiver to complement George Pickens, but Aiyuk probably would have become the Steelers' No. 1 receiver.

If and when Omar Khan adds another receiver to the mix, it won't be a potential WR1. Pickens is that guy already. There's no doubt about it any longer.

There's never been a question about Pickens' ability, even going back to his days at Georgia. Pickens is a freak athlete with great size, superb body control and strong hands. He uses all of that to his ability to make just about any catch possible. That's been evident since his rookie year in 2022.

Remember this insane grab?

But what we've needed to see Pickens do to become a bonafide No. 1 receiver in this league is him round out the rest of his game, specifically as a route runner. It's not that he's previously been bad at it, but if he could find ways to improve and gain more separation on a consistent basis, then it might make him virtually unstoppable. And, that's exactly what's happening here, even though he says he's not doing anything different.

"Just making plays," Pickens said after Wednesday's practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "I've been doing the same thing I've been doing ever since my rookie year."

One thing he's doing a lot better this season is gaining separation. According to FantasyPoints.com, Pickens ranks second in the NFL in average separation, trailing only Mike Evans from Tampa Bay. And, he's done this while being shadowed by two very accomplished cornerbacks. Against the Falcons, Pickens ran 80% of his routes against A.J. Terrell. Against the Broncos, Pickens ran 71% of his routes against Pat Surtain II. 

And he more than held his own. Look at this route he ran against Surtain to help convert a third-and-11:

That's a disgusting route. Needless to say, Surtain didn't line up that far off him much more after that. Just a sick, sick route.

Pickens only had two catches for 29 yards against the Broncos, but his impact on the game was much more palpable than what any box score could say. Even his eight catches for 114 yards seem underwhelming based on what he's been able to do in each of the first two games.

As it is with Justin Fields' numbers, Pickens has been stricken with some bad luck due to penalties. In Week 1, Pickens had a 36-yard catch negated due to offensive pass interference, which was a pretty tick-tack call. But then in Week 2, Pickens had a 51-yard catch nullified by holding, a 6-yard touchdown catch nullified by offensive pass interference on Van Jefferson and Surtain also drew a 39-yard pass interference penalty while covering Pickens. The box score numbers don't tell the whole story of the impact Pickens is having on this offense.

And, even without any extra would-be catches negated by penalties, Pickens is still 15th in the NFL with 2.78 yards per route run, meaning he's helping stretch the field for the offense. That's made even more evident by him ranking fourth in the NFL with 53% of his team's share of air yards, according to NFL's Next Gen Stats. So, not only is he stretching the field, but he's also doing it as the lifeblood of the receiving options in Pittsburgh.

Mike Tomlin said Tuesday he wasn't concerned by the performance of the receivers behind Pickens. Maybe it's because the offense should have already put up more points without the slew of penalties that have been called. In talking with several offensive players, many of them -- including offensive coordinator Arthur Smith -- feel like the dam is about to break.

"(We've had points) negated by penalties," Pickens said. "I feel like the dam's already kind of breaking. Penalties just can't happen. We have to play a clean game, but then also let the guys play on the field."

If it does break and this offense plays the way it's been while cleaning up the penalties, then the numbers should start reflecting Pickens' breakout.