The Cowboys made a late-offseason splash with the acquisition of wide receiver George Pickens, a move that portends to open up Dallas' passing attack significantly.
Dak Prescott is already envisioning the possibilities following last week's trade.
“We’ve connected,” Prescott said during a Wednesday appearance on 1310 The Ticket in Dallas. “I’m excited. You turn on the tape, you see a guy that can catch the football. You put the football anywhere in his vicinity, very strong hands, more than a 50-50 catcher. He thinks it’s his ball when it’s in the air. I’m excited for him. I know we needed some help at that position. I know that needed some help. I think when you have a guy like that, it’s hard to double team two guys.
“And then when you have other guys, whether it be (Jake Ferguson), Jalen Tolbert, , guys who have had reps and know how to get open in the league, I think we’re putting together a nice group of weapons.”
Pickens' tenure in Pittsburgh saw plenty of thrilling highlights, but a limited offense and a number of self-inflicted headaches ultimately repressed the wideout's true potential.
His career-best season in 2023 produced 1,140 yards and five touchdowns with a whopping 18.1 yards-per-reception (63) average. It's that kind of downfield playmaker who the Cowboys foresee as the perfect compliment to No. 1 wideout CeeDee Lamb, whose 101-catch, 1,194-yard season in 2024 was slightly underwhelming following a franchise-record-setting campaign in 2023.
Prescott, of course, also flourished with 4,516 passing yards and a career-high 36 TDs in last fully healthy season (2023).
Adding Pickens to that mix is intriguing. He figures to play on the outside in the same role Brandin Cooks manned opposite Lamb the prior two seasons. After Cooks' offseason exit, Dallas had a hole to fill this offseason but didn't satisfy the need in free agency or in April's draft.
Instead, the Cowboys nabbed a proven playmaker by sending a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for the 24-year-old wideout and a 2027 sixth-rounder.
Speaking on the trade this past Monday, Cowboys executive Stephen Jones compared Pickens to Dez Bryant, the franchise's all-time leader in TD receptions (73). The analogy isn't all that far-fetched considering Pickens' deep-threat capabilities and quick-twitch speed, but perhaps the bigger effect of Pickens' arrival will be his threat alone.
Prescott and Co. will be looking to benefit from those dividends in 2025.