Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens is one of the best downfield receivers in football due to his athleticism and contested catch ability. Last season, the Steelers tried to get him vertical as much as possible. Pickens led all receivers (minimum 50 receptions) in the percentage of vertical route runs last season, running a vertical route 44.9% of the time, per ESPN’s Matt Bowen.
Vertical route % in ‘23…
(Minimum 50 receptions)
1. George Pickens (44.9%)
2. Darius Slayton (43.8%)
3. DK Metcalf (42.4%)
4. DeAndre Hopkins (41.