It started with a quiet offseason session under Texas sun, but the message was loud. Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb back at Celina High, back in rhythm, and back to rewriting a 2024 season that never took off. Lamb’s social post, “Say what you want, Cee you in September,” wasn’t just offseason bravado. It signaled unfinished business. The duo combined for 135 catches, 1,749 yards, and 12 touchdowns in 2023. But last season? Injuries, schematic stagnation, and too much weight on Lamb’s shoulders gutted the vertical game. Even with Dallas finishing 11th in passing yards, it never looked threatening. Teams didn’t need to fear deep. There was no second option to demand respect. That imbalance wasn’t lost on Prescott. Nor on Dallas.

Enter George Pickens. “I know we needed some help at that position,” Prescott admitted. “I know that CeeDee needed some help.” The Cowboys traded for the NFL’s only wideout with 2,000+ yards and 16+ yards per catch across the past three seasons. Pickens brings gravity. He pulls safeties. He punishes single coverage. For once, Prescott might have something Dallas hasn’t had in years: a true vertical Plan B. And Pickens knows it, too. “Schematically, you won’t be able to double everybody,” he said. That deficiency… The one that’s defined Dak’s playoff shortcomings… Might finally be gone.

Stephen Jones didn’t even try to hide the comparison. “He’s an uber competitor, and we had one in Dez Bryant who was the same way.” It’s high praise. And also, a polite way of saying: he’s got that same wild streak. But guess what? Dallas is here for it. Because they know that Pickens is not here to dethrone CeeDee. Instead, he’s here to give Dak a secure B Route. “The Cowboys went and got themselves a weapon for Dak Prescott,” Kyle Youmans said on the Dallas Cowboys TV show. “How much can he help take this offense to an entirely new level, pairing with CeeDee Lamb?”

Nicole Hutchison saw it first-hand: “I got a chance to talk to him at media day, and I asked him, you know, what are you bringing to this team? He said, ‘I’m bringing some more swag’…But you’re also adding a guy who can stretch a defense.” That part’s key. Stretching the defense. For all of Dak’s strengths, one of his lingering deficiencies has been a lack of consistent deep-ball partners. Michael Gallup was supposed to be that guy. Jalen Tolbert had a chance. But neither scared off a safety. Pickens does.

He led the league in catches of 20 yards in 2024. Pro Football Focus gave him a near-perfect 99.9 on vertical routes. But let’s not crown him just yet. Pickens didn’t even make ESPN’s honorable mentions list. Off-field noise followed him in Pittsburgh – fines, sideline dustups, and that rotating QB carousel. The NFL remembers drama more than production. Still, what Dallas saw was potential: a guy who could post a 150-yard game if Lamb is blanketed.

Cowboys insiders aren’t just hoping – some are expecting. Tommy Yarrish is calling a Pro Bowl season. Mickey Spagnola sees him as a co-No. 1. Kyle Youmans says this is Pickens’ prove-it year. Dak? He’s all in. “Go turn on that guy’s tape,” Prescott said. “Even when he doesn’t have separation, he’s still making the catches. It’s not going to be hard, for me it’s about getting the ball near that guy and let him go be George Pickens.” That’s what Dallas has lacked – a receiver who doesn’t need to be open to make a play. One who dares the corner to try.

Training camp starts: Time to see if George Pickens is worth the hype

Training camp isn’t just conditioning drills and team photos anymore – it’s judgment day. Especially for Brian Schottenheimer, who’s working with a retooled offense and a fanbase with zero patience. Pickens isn’t walking into a ‘learn and develop’ year. He’s walking into a ‘produce or get replaced’ window – with his rookie deal expiring and his rep still somewhere between ‘highlight machine’ and ‘high-maintenance.’ But now? He’s finally got a quarterback who can find him when it matters.

Mike Florio put it bluntly: “Pickens has never had a high-end quarterback,” he said. “Have we finally reached the point where a Steelers receiver who was disgruntled in Pittsburgh – actually does better elsewhere than he did in Pittsburgh?” There’s a fair shot he does. With Lamb drawing doubles, Pickens will face more single coverage than he’s seen in years. And if he keeps hauling in those 20+ yard bombs like he did in 2024? He’ll silence the drama crowd quickly.

Nick Eatman thinks he’ll make a splash every game, even if he doesn’t fill the stat sheet. Kurt Daniels sees a perfect 1A-1B pairing with Lamb, finally giving Dallas the one-two punch it hasn’t had since the Dez Bryant-Terrance Williams days.

Meanwhile, the questions are valid: Can Pickens mature in a high-pressure market? Can Dak capitalize on the vertical firepower? And can Schottenheimer balance the offensive load without turning it into a tug-of-war? Those answers start to emerge in Oxnard. But for now, George Pickens isn’t here to just help Dak Prescott. He’s here to fix him. And if he does? Now, it shouldn’t come as a shock if ESPN’s next WR list looks a lot different in 2026.