From the minute he arrived at his first Cowboys training camp, George Pickens has been living up to the hype. There have been plenty of moments that Dallas’ new starting receiver has thrilled the crowd, both the Oxnard attendees and those following through social media. But as good as he’s been all summer, on Tuesday, Pickens set a new bar for his summer show-offs.
During a first-team practice session, Pickens was matched up against DaRon Bland. As they ran down the sideline, with Bland right on him,
Dak Prescott put the ball up and gave his receiver a chance to make the play.
And boy, did he.
We already knew that Pickens was a dynamic receiver, but this play shows something even more important for the upcoming season. For those special traits to be utilized, the quarterback has to trust the receiver enough to throw the ball into tight coverage. On this play, Prescott didn’t shy away from Pickens even though he wasn’t really open and going against an All-Pro, ballhawk cornerback.
Throughout his career, Prescott hasn’t been that liberal with his throws. Early on, he and Dez Bryant weren’t a good fit because Prescott didn’t give Bryant some of those “go up and get it” opportunities the way Tony Romo would. Cole Beasley had his breakout year with Prescott because of his ability to get open, giving Prescott a more comfortable target.
The trust factor is huge, particularly under the bright lights of real games. Even when he had Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb on the field a few years back, Prescott would often look to Michael Gallup in clutch moments. In his prime, Gallup had a proven knack for making the catch regardless of the coverage or how much field he had to work with, and his QB loved him for it.
If George Pickens can be that kind of trusted target for Dak Prescott in 2025, it will do wonders for this offense. CeeDee Lamb is still going to be out there demanding attention, meaning Pickens should get plenty of one-on-one opportunities. If Prescott’s willing to let Pickens cook in those moments, the results could be delicious. Tuesday’s catch was a positive sign of what could be on the menu for Cowboys fans this season.
