The Cowboys pulled off one of the biggest trades during the 2025 offseason. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers have finalized a trade for wide receiver George Pickens. In the reported deal, the Steelers will receive the Dallas Cowboys’ 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. The Dallas Cowboys get wide receiver George Pickens and a 2027 fifth-rounder. The Dallas Cowboys have been trying to work out a deal for a wide receiver for some time this offseason. They have needed to address the wide receiver position behind stud receiver CeeDee Lamb since 2022. Now the Cowboys have added a legitimate receiver to take the pressure off of Lamb and the rest of the Cowboys’ passing attack while providing Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott with another weapon. As fantasy value goes, Pickens’ stock does take a hit, but it’s not as significant as you might believe.
George Pickens in 2025
With George Pickens being traded to the Dallas Cowboys, he has a legit top-10 quarterback throwing him the ball this season. The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t cleared up their quarterback situation after the draft. While the Steelers are rumored to have a “handshake deal” with free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers, there isn’t anyone on the current Steelers roster who reassures fantasy managers that they should have taken a chance on Pickens pre-trade. Backup quarterback Mason Rudolph is “okay” for a handful of games but lacks the consistency to carry receivers inside the top-15- 20 in fantasy wide receivers. Not to mention that Rudolph would also have to support former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf, too, it would be too much for either receiver to catch on in that offense. Now with the Dallas Cowboys, Pickens can fill in the void left by Amari Cooper all those years ago. In terms of targets, Pickens should not only assume the 79 targets from Jalen Tolbert, who was the Cowboys’ active WR2 in 2024, but also take a small portion of targets from Ceedee Lamb. During the 2024 season, Lamb led the Dallas Cowboys in targets with 152 and a near 27% target share. Jalen Tolbert came in second among the Cowboys receivers with a 12.4% target share. Pickens can command targets on his own, and the Cowboys need to give Lamb a break so he can make it through the season healthier than he was last year. But it’s not like we haven’t seen George Pickens handle a 100+ target season. Pickens finished with over 100 targets in his last two seasons, 106 in 2023 and 103 in 2024. Pickens’ true strength, however, is his deep threat ability. During the 2024 season, Pickens ranked fifth in air yards per game with 100.1. Pickens fits the direction that the Cowboys want to move the passing offense under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer. Pickens being used as the teams’ deep threat will allow Pickens to create big plays and grab chunks of fantasy points in an offense that can lean towards the pass as it establishes its new rushing attack behind rookie running back Jayden Blue and whoever his running mate may be by the end of training camp (I hope it’s Phil Mafah). If you’re concerned about a downturn in pass attempts for Dak Prescott in a Schottenheimer offensive scheme, this next tidbit might take the pressure off. During his time with the Seattle Seahawks, Schottenheimer had Russell Wilson throwing the ball at an impressive clip. From 2018-2020, Wilson averaged 500 pass attempts over that span. If that’s the floor for Dak Prescott in Schottenheimer’s passing attack, it’s a good start for Pickens to get involved as an integral piece in the Cowboys’ offense.
Pickens Outlook in Dallas
George Pickens shouldn’t be viewed as a WR1 now that he’s with the Dallas Cowboys, but more as a higher-end WR2. I’m thinking something like Tee Higgins. The Cowboys desperately needed to add another weapon to Dak Prescott and the passing attack, but also add a running mate to pair with CeeDee Lamb. Pickens’ deep threat ability adds another layer to his fantasy value (and should provide a boost to Dak Prescott, too). Pickens isn’t the greatest separating threat against defenders, as he averaged just 2.3 yards of separation against defenders, according to NextGenStats. However, he is one of the best 50/50 ball catchers at wide receiver, able to change his direction to make spectacular catches within his catch radius. Pickens has had games where he can put up fantasy points. With the Steelers last season, Pickens had eight games with double-digit fantasy points and five games with 15+ fantasy points. Pickens’ current ADP has him at the WR43, according to Underdog’s ADP chart, but I expect that to rise once the news settles of his trade. Another thing to consider. Pickens is in the final year of his rookie contract and wants to prove he is still “the guy” at wide receiver. If he wants a big payday at the end of the season, whether with the Dallas Cowboys or another team, he will have to show that he can ball at a high level and keep his emotions in check. If he can do these things, he should have a great season in Dallas, and that can pay dividends for fantasy managers looking to get a piece of the Cowboys this season.
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