Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is primed for a breakout season in 2024, and analysts are starting to take notice. In a recent article by Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine titled: ‘Ranking Most Underrated WRs in NFL Ahead of 2024 Season’, Pickens was named the league’s most underrated wide receiver.

Ballentine ranked eight receivers and what he thought about each athlete. Pickens topped the list and here is what Ballentine had to say in regards to his upcoming season:

There are some flaws in conflating fantasy rankings for actual rankings of receivers, but putting George Pickens outside of the top 24 feels like a mistake regardless of the context. In fact, it shouldn’t be all that shocking if Pickens winds up in the discussion as a top-10 wide receiver in the league if he takes the next step in his third season. Pickens is on pace for that kind of start to his career. The former Georgia Bulldog showed some of that promise in his rookie season. Coming off an ACL tear that kept him out for much of his final collegiate season, he had 52 receptions for 801 yards. He followed that up with his first 1,000-yard season, catching 63 passes for 1,140 yards. His 18.1 yards per reception led the league with Brandon Aiyuk not far behind at 17.9. Aiyuk is definitely getting his due. His role in a dynamic Niners offense has most of the league understanding just how good he is. The same isn’t true for Pickens. He put up his production in a fledgling Steelers offense with Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph getting him the ball. Pickens is a bit reliant on his deep ball ability right now. But there’s room for him to expand his game and grow into a truly dominant alpha receiver. ESPN Analytics uses its player-tracking data to give receivers a score for their ability to get open, catch the ball and gain yards after the catch. It’s a good way to look at what a receiver does independent of the quarterback. Pickens came in eighth, just behind Diontae Johnson and Keenan Allen as a 22-year-old second-year player. Expect Pickens to gain some respect in a revamped Pittsburgh offense.

Ballentine made a bold prediction on how Pickens can wind up being in the discussion as a top-10 receiver in the entire NFL. He continued the praise by mentioning how his yards per reception led the league last season and compared that production to San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who came in second place.

Pickens’ youth at just 23-years-old paired with a new offensive scheme that will certainly be more professional and well run compared to a season ago, leads to a potential breakout campaign for the third-year wideout from Georgia.

Even though Ballentine made great points and is most likely accurate in his statements, does it really matter that he is listed as the most underrated wide receiver?

You would have thought the world ended with the amount of posts I have seen on social media platform X, specifically the Cleveland Browns fan base, when they found out Amari Cooper did not make Ballentine’s underrated list. It hit mainstream media so far that even Philadelphia Eagles star cornerback Darius Slay had to endorse Cooper and how he believes he is the ‘most underappreciated receiver in the league.”

In case you were interested and did not want to click on the Bleacher Report article, here are the following receivers and their ranking:

1. George Pickens
2.  Terry McLaurin
3.  Khalil Shakir
4.  Courtland Sutton
5.  Dontayvion Wicks
6.  Kalif Raymond
7.  Jauan Jennings
8. Brandin Cooks

While it is the offseason and content creation just like this and the Bleacher Report article must take place, I firmly am under the belief that I really do not care if Pickens is called underrated. Now does Pickens think he is underrated and must show the organization and the fans that he has something to prove? That is totally up to him and his goals and drive to be one of the best in the league.

As for me and others, this underrated tag is meaningless and the fans on social media who take it far too serious should stop.

The one thing I know is that with a revamped offense and a hunger to prove himself, Pickens is poised for a breakout season that will grab everyone’s attention.

Training camp at St. Vincent College is right around the corner and that is something that Steelers fans can all get behind!

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below! Does this positive ranking hold any merit, or is it just another offseason piece to tide us over until training camp?