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PITTSBURGH (AP) — The secret may be known about Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver George Pickens.

Pickens was the talking point of the team’s training camp, as he has attracted attention with his great playing skills through three weeks of training at St. Vincent College.

The promising rookie was equally impressive in his professional debut, helping the attack with three first-half goals in Pittsburgh’s opening preseason win against Seattle on Saturday.

Pickens was pleased with his first preseason game, but he is far from satisfied.

“It’s like a dream come true, but I feel like if you look at it like a dream come true, you kind of get stuck in your dream,” Pickens said. “I don’t really pay attention to it. I just keep working.”

Pickens finished the game with three receptions for 43 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown catch with a highlight reel.

“I did the same thing I did in training,” Pickens said. “Just to get the feel of the game…that’s really the most important part.”

Pickens has quickly built chemistry and confidence with Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett, the three quarterbacks vying for the chance to replace retired Ben Roethlisberger as the Steelers’ new starter.

Pickens had five goals on Saturday, tied for the most of all players. Trubisky immediately put Pickens into the mix with a 9-yard short pass on the first play of the game and another deep target later in the drive. Pickens later made a spinning 8-yard grab near the sideline in tight cover.

Trubisky certainly noticed the young rookie.

“It stands out,” Trubisky said. “He makes plays and he is definitely a man you want to go to. He’s been really impressive so far.”

The most impressive moment came during his 26-yard touchdown reception from Rudolph late in the first quarter. Pickens ran past Seahawks rookie cornerback Coby Bryant, creating a parting near the goal line and barely keeping his toes in as he pulled a high arch pass over the shoulder to the back pylon.

Rudolph witnessed it during training camp, not only Pickens’ innate ability to part but also the ability to come down with a reception while fighting a defender.

“We’ve seen it where it’s a 50-50 shot and he makes those plays,” Rudolph said. “It was good to connect and build trust. He played great and put his toes down when we needed it.”

Pickens also showed his abilities outside of football. His downfield block knocked out two defenders and helped Anthony McFarland stop a 24-yard run on a third-and-1, a crucial play that led to a Steelers touchdown on the game’s first drive.

Pickens also delivered a hard push to Bryant from the line of scrimmage on another opposite-field run. It was such a hard push that isolated reruns went viral on social media, as Bryant tumbled several feet back after the push.

“He is a young player with a lot of potential,” said Rudolph. “He has already done well and I think he will continue to refine the little things. We are excited.”

So are the Steelers, who believe they have been awarded the draft 2022 draft after selecting the former Georgia runner-up in the second round.

Pickens tore the ACL in his right knee in March 2021. But less than nine months after his injury, Pickens impressed in Georgia’s run through the College Football Playoff, when the 6-foot-3 stood out in a 52-yard reception in the win against Alabama. during the national championship game.

Pickens probably would have been rated a first round had he not been injured.

Pickens, who ran a 4.47 40-yard dash, caught 85 passes for 1,240 yards during his first two seasons with Georgia. The Steelers were well aware of Pickens before his knee injury on the fourth day of Georgia’s spring practice and did not hesitate to add the star receiver to a young, talented offensive skill group that includes Diontae Johnson, Najee Harris, Chase Claypool and Pat Freiermuth.

“Instead of doing analysis, I wanted to show people that I could really play,” Pickens said. “That’s what I told the people at the (NFL) Combine, the type of player I am.”

Pickens certainly proved this through three weeks of training camps and his first preseason game in the NFL.

“Every time the ball is in his area, it’s a big chance,” Trubisky said. “We have to keep getting reps with him, keep giving him chances and he’ll keep doing special things.”

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