Pro Football Focus has released its list of the top-10 returning wide receivers for the 2021 college football season and Georgia wide receiver George Pickens made the list.
Pickens checked in at No. 4 on the list and No. 1 in the SEC.
“Pickens took a step back in 2020, but he has more than proven to be capable of producing at an elite level. As a true freshman in 2019, Pickens earned an 88.0 receiving grade and displayed some of the best hands in the country. He saw 77 targets, and not a single one resulted in a drop.
In 2020, his production took a pretty steep hit. Pickens’ receiving grade dipped to 71.1, and he generated only 1.93 yards per route run. That said, lowly quarterback play early on from Stetson Bennett played a part, as did a nagging upper-body injury. Pickens did, however, get better in one key area: contested scenarios. He raised his 27.8% contested catch rate in 2019 to 64.3% in 2020.
With a clean bill of health in 2021, expect Pickens to get back to doing what he does best: making highlight-reel snags with his massive catch radius.
Look for Pickens to have a big year this coming fall thanks in large part to him being a favorite target of JT Daniels. His freshman season, Pickens looked like he could be the best receiver in the nation, after hauling in 49 catches for 727 yards and 8 touchdowns. As PFF mentioned, he did see a drop in his numbers in 2020, catching 36 balls for 513 yards and 6 touchdowns, but saw a resurgence when Daniels took over under center.
He finished the year strong with a 7 catch, 135 yard and 1 touchdown game in the Peach Bowl.
