Chicago Bears: Finding NFL comparisons for George Pickens

One player that has been mocked to the Chicago Bears often in the NFL draft cycle has been George Pickens. The wide receiver is likely to fall to where the team picks, and he just so happens to have a relationship with Justin Fields dating back to when Pickens was in high school.

If the Chicago Bears do draft George Pickens many fans will be wondering what exactly they will be getting from him. There are a few NFL comparisons for George Pickens that could describe his style of play and how it would translate to the NFL.

Finding NFL comparison for George Pickens

To start, NFL.com compared George Pickens to Josh Reynolds. This makes sense, especially in their frame and athletic measurables. You could argue that Pickens is more physical than Reynolds both off of the line of scrimmage, and at the catch point, but you could also argue that his frame is part of the reason why he was unable to be a more physical player in the NFL.

Pro Football Focus used a combination of statistical production and athleticism and found that one of their better comparisons was Jeremy Maclin. Maclin was always a solid number two wideout who could impact most areas of the field.

While these two NFL comparisons make sense for George Pickens, the best for a combination of all of his skill set would be Marvin Jones. Below you can see how George Pickens compared to the three wide receivers mentioned.

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The biggest difference between Reynolds and Pickens is their physicality. However, Maclin may have shown more in the middle and intermediate areas of the field than Pickens has so far. Pickens is a physical wideout, who dominates in the air and at the catch point.

Pickens is not a one-trick pony, but he often lines up on one side of the field and is not an expert route runner. In fact, Georgia was not asking him to cut over the middle nearly as much as win the jump balls and flip field position.

The question with how he will translate is that for a player who wins downfield he does not have the burner speed, and does not have the frame to consistently outmuscle players in the NFL. However, that is the same thing that can be said for Marvin Jones, who finds ways to win in the air and at the catch point.

You do not see Marvin Jones winning many routes with crisp routes over the middle, and all of his highlights are similar to posterizing dunks. This is exactly how you would describe the game of George Pickens coming out of college.

Would a player with a skill set similar to Marvin Jones be a fit with the Chicago Bears, and if Marvin Jones is the best NFL Comparison for George Pickens should the team select him in the 2022 NFL draft?