The Cowboys traded a third-round pick as part of a deal to get the controversial receiver from the Steelers. It seems like the Steelers were glad to part ways. And that’s one reason why there was risk involved on the Cowboys’ part.

It’s not that the Cowboys gave up too much for Pickens in terms of his talent. But how will he fit in the locker room when Prescott chucks about 18 targets CeeDee Lamb’s way and only has bread crumbs left for Pickens?

Will WR George Pickens work for Cowboys?

On the surface, it’s a great deal. Pickens gives the Cowboys some of the things that Lamb doesn’t do in their offensive scheme. It’s a nice fit. But there’s more to putting together a roster than just getting the most talented players.

That’s why there were so many surprises in the NFL Draft. Talented players tumbled down the board because of their potential team disruption. The most notable of those players was Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

But has Pickens gotten a bad rap? Will he stay with the program in Jerry’s world?

One thing is the Cowboys now have two No. 1 receivers. At least if you listen to Lamb and Pickens, according to DLLS Cowboys via nfl.com.

“We both ones,” Lamb said as Pickens concurred, via DLLS Cowboys. “It ain’t no A, B, none of that. It’s one. You look over there, you see one. You look over here, you see another one. So do what you gotta do with that.”

But this isn’t a slam-dunk route to the Super Bowl, according to nfl.com.

“Yes, they’re better with Pickens,” Eric Edholm wrote. “CeeDee Lamb badly needed a running mate, and the Cowboys lacked another big-play threat. The Cowboys had seven 40-yard pass plays last season; Pickens had four by himself. His arrival also helps the mystery run game — which received a boost when Dallas selected talented run blocker Tyler Booker in Round 1 and Texas RB Jaydon Blue in Round 5 — and what Brian Schottenheimer envisions for his offense.

“But until Pickens is signed long term, this is a one-year experiment. Can Dallas improve markedly on each side of the ball to become Super Bowl contenders with Pickens’ arrival? Too big a leap for me.”

One thing for sure, Edholm wrote, is this trade paints a Super Bowl bullseye on Prescott’s back.

“Dak Prescott can’t hide from expectations and must thrive at this critical stage of his career,” Edholm wrote. “First, there’s the pressure for Prescott to return to his 2023 form after another injury-marred year. He didn’t play great in 2024 and has been too interception-prone in two of his past three seasons.

“Plus, there’s the need for the quarterback to take on an enhanced leadership role on this team. Zack Martin’s retirement and Demarcus Lawrence’s departure removed two big, respected voices from the locker room. Lamb’s body language was a subject of conjecture at times the past few seasons, and now Pickens arrives with even more questions in that same vein.”

Certainly Jerry Jones is happy about the deal. He apparently enjoys patting himself on the back, and talked about how good Pickens is, according to athlonsports.com.

“He’s just a dynamic receiver,” Jones said. “Everybody says we’re looking for a 2. I mean, George can be a 1. He’s got that type of talent, (and) he’s got unbelievable ball-tracking ability. He’s got plenty of juice, and he’s a fiery competitor. And we love that, he plays with an edge, and we think he’d be a good fit for our team.”

At least Jones has Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson on his side, according to a post on X.

“Jerry Jones this is a all in move, bolstering your offensive weaponry to make Daks job easy with RELIABLE targets that can make something out of nothing due to their peculiar talent, excited for Cowboy fans especially my young boul Pickens.”

No doubt, getting Pickens has the potential to make the Cowboys’ offense scary. But the risky part comes from already having things in place to be competitive and bringing in a guy who could blow things up.

What could happen in the Cowboys storm out of the gates, scoring 30-plus points per game over the first third of the season. But what happens when the team inevitably hits a bump in the road? Will Pickens pout and cause problems? Only time will tell, but there’s plenty of risk involved.