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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens has earned recognition as one of the NFL’s top wide receivers heading into 2026, as he ranked at No. 7 on a recent ESPN survey. However, one veteran NFL coach believes a single issue continues to hold Pickens back from reaching his full potential.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote in his survey article that a veteran NFL offensive coach praised Pickens for his consistent contested catches, but also pointed out his consistency issues.
“One of the best I’ve ever seen at the contested catch,” said a veteran offensive coach as per an article by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. “There’s such untapped ability there. It’s just a consistency issue and where his head’s at week to week.”
According to the survey published by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler in his July 15 article, the aforementioned coach believes that Pickens doesn’t perform at an elite level every week, as he dominates one game but fluctuates in execution and effort in others.
Pickens had multiple 100-yard games with explosive plays (e.g., vs. Ravens), but also several with minimal targets, drops, and visibly low effort.
Levi Dombro of The Landry Hat shared similar sentiments to that of the NFL coach, as he believes the Cowboys needed assurance about Pickens’ off-field behavior and on-field production before signing him to a long-term deal.
“At the end of the day, the Cowboys have a one-year sample size to work with when it comes to Pickens, and he wasn’t even squeaky-clean on or off the field last season,” Levi Dombro of The Landry Hat wrote in his article. “Before investing an ungodly amount of money into him, Dallas needs to do its proper vetting.”
Pickens posted 93 receptions for 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 2025, and is set to play under the franchise tag ($27.3M) for the 2026 season.
Dombro believes that the franchise tag gives the Cowboys valuable time in evaluating Pickens’ consistency and elite talent that is needed to justify their long-term investment.
Pickens’ maturity remains under the Cowboys’ microscope
Levi Dombro of The Landry Hat believes that Pickens has to prove his change in off-field maturity after his previous stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he was criticised for unsportsmanlike behavior and reported tardiness.
“Plus, Pickens came to Dallas with some character or maturity concerns,” Levi Dombro of The Landry Hat wrote in his article. “His actions in Las Vegas before the team’s game against the Raiders in Week 11 last year are surely still a talking point amongst the Cowboys’ brass, and he has a long way to go in proving himself to the front office.”
Pickens and Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb were benched for the opening drive in the Las Vegas Raiders game on November 17 last year, as they missed their 10 p.m curfew the previous night before the game.
Though Dombro notes that Pickens has taken a quiet approach in accepting the tag, he still believes Pickens has a “long way to go” to prove himself.
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