George Pickens bullish on Mitchell
Although his ACL injury kept George Pickens from posting the statistics he was hoping for during Georgia’s national championship campaign, he hopes his presence at least meant something to this year’s receiving corp.
“I think I’ll leave a big legacy when it comes to receivers,” Pickens said. “Before I got here, there were some good receivers, but nobody who was, like, dynamic, like you see at other schools. I just wanted to be one of those guys for Georgia. I think I left a good trail for somebody else to pick up on.”
Pickens did not hesitate when asked which of Georgia’s current receivers he believes is ready to carve out his own niche and become a star.
“AD (Adonai Mitchell), and it’s not even like—” Pickens said. “There’s just some things you can’t coach.”
It’s easy to see why Pickens feels this way.
Mitchell made quite the impression as a true freshman, dating back to last year’s G-Day game. He would carry that over to a fine freshman campaign, catching 29 passes for 426 yards and four touchdowns, including a huge grab against Alabama in the national championship.
“He’s got the skills, he’s got the mindset, the routes, the speed. He’s got it all, so he’s probably the next up and coming guy,” Pickens said. “I’m glad he got to see me before I left, so he can kind of understand.”
Pickens, who surprised pundits with his speed and impressed them with his condition at the recent NFL Combine, ran position drills for the 122 scouts and NFL personnel during Wednesday’s Pro Day.
Afterward, Pickens touched on different subjects during an almost 10-minute session with the media.
Besides his thoughts on Mitchell, Pickens cleared up one question that many fans wondered aloud about during the year.
He never considered leaving Georgia to begin preparing for his impending NFL career.
“Nah,” said Pickens, who added that coming back to play last year was always the goal, even when his body might not have always agreed.
“Your mind is always certain, but your body has a mind of its own,” Pickens said. “It was really about taking time with my body.”
It was not until late November when Pickens finally got the ok from team doctors that he knew his goal to play again for the Bulldogs would come true.
“It was like I could walk again. When you can’t walk, or do the things you’re used to, it’s like you’re in a wheelchair,” Pickens said. “But when I got back to really running, releases, cutting, running full speed. I knew I could do it.”
