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George Pickens' fit with Dallas Cowboys compared to Dez Bryant by Stephen Jones

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh05/13/25griffin_mcveigh
george pickens steelers
Nov 26, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) celebrates his first down reception during the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

With another impact wide receiver needed, the Dallas Cowboys delivered. George Pickens will be playing alongside CeeDee Lamb in 2025, giving Dak Prescott another big-time target. The Cowboys clearly think highly of Pickens, sending away a third-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Part of why Dallas may have wanted to acquire Pickens was because of his on-field edge. Stephen Jones admitted the attitude reminded them of a previous fan favorite, Dez Bryant.

“We think of him as more than a (No. 2 wide receiver),” Jones said via The Athletic‘s Jon Machota. “…Here you get a guy who has experience, who has had great success in the NFL, obviously a tremendous competitor. He reminds a lot (of us) in our building of Dez Bryant, in terms of his competitiveness and what he brings to the field, his edge.”

Bryant was a member of the 88 club, a number that has become famous with Dallas Cowboys wide receivers. Of course, Pickens will not get to don the number as Lamb currently wears it. Lamb has more than lived up to the billing and is paid as such, getting a handsome contract extension last offseason.

The Cowboys had opportunities to maybe add somebody different. Reports indicate Rashod Bateman of the Baltimore Ravens was possibly one. Free agents were out there to possibly sign, most notably Amari Cooper.

But when Jones sat down and looked at all the options, they felt as if Pickens fit best into the locker room. And with a comparison to Bryant, it’s easy to see why they would think as such.

“We had some opportunities around the league that we were looking at, and this one, at the end of the day, made the most sense,” Jones said. “Whether it was Coach Schottenheimer and his offensive staff looking at him or Will McClay and the personnel group, and obviously Jerry and myself, felt like this was the best action for us and certainly one that made a lot of sense to us.”

Bryant’s last season in Dallas was 2017, catching 69 passes for 838 yards and six touchdowns. While those numbers did not live up to the expectations of a receiver like Bryant, you have to imagine the Cowboys would take it from Pickens right now this upcoming season. If Lamb gets what he usually does, Dallas would have one of the league’s top duos at wide receiver.