George Pickens trade grade: Rating Cowboys' move for dynamic WR as Steelers shift to rebuild mode

George Pickens has been traded to the Dallas Cowboys after previously spending his entire NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The move gives the Cowboys the second wide receiver that they have been seeking, while the Steelers may be rebuilding some areas of their roster. Here's how the trade grades out for both teams.

George Pickens' trade grade for Cowboys

George Pickens

The Dallas Cowboys have been desperately seeking a reliable WR2 to play in their offense alongside CeeDee Lamb. They failed to get what they were hoping for in Brandin Cooks, leading to his departure from the team.

Many around the league expected the Cowboys to target a wide receiver early in the 2025 NFL Draft, but they ended up passing on the position altogether. This left them with a weak group behind Lamb, but they theoretically solved the issue by bringing in Pickens in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Dallas also received a 2027 sixth-round pick in the deal in exchange for their 2026 third-rounders and a 2027 fifth-rounder. They essentially landed the wide receiver for a third-round pick in the next draft and traded down one round in a pick swap for the following year after that.

Pickens is still just 24 years old and has already accumulated 2,841 yards in just his first three seasons. He has done so despite some poor quarterback play with the Steelers, so linking up with Dak Prescott could help him take a further step forward. The Cowboys didn't have to give up much to get him and he comes with a high ceiling, while filling a major hole on their roster.

Cowboys trade grade: B+

George Pickens' trade grade for Steelers

George Pickens

It will be extremely challenging for the Pittsburgh Steelers to essentially turn a third-round pick next year into something as productive as Pickens has been for them. Despite his questionable behaviour and outspoken nature, his play on the actual football field has established him as an impact player.

The silver lining for the Steelers is that they did previously make an offseason move for DK Metcalf, who shockingly departed the Seattle Seahawks this year. This theoretically means that they already have a true number-one wide receiver who is already an upgrade on Pickens. They made the NFL Playoffs last year without Metcalf, so they may have been confident that they didn't necessarily need Pickens.

Steelers trade grade: C-