There are some flaws in conflating fantasy rankings for actual rankings of receivers, but putting George Pickens outside of the top 24 feels like a mistake regardless of the context.

In fact, it shouldn’t be all that shocking if Pickens winds up in the discussion as a top-10 wide receiver in the league if he takes the next step in his third season. Pickens is on pace for that kind of start to his career.

The former Georgia Bulldog showed some of that promise in his rookie season. Coming off an ACL tear that kept him out for much of his final collegiate season, he had 52 receptions for 801 yards. He followed that up with his first 1,000-yard season, catching 63 passes for 1,140 yards.

His 18.1 yards per reception led the league with Brandon Aiyuk not far behind at 17.9. Aiyuk is definitely getting his due. His role in a dynamic Niners offense has most of the league understanding just how good he is.

The same isn’t true for Pickens. He put up his production in a fledgling Steelers offense with Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph getting him the ball.

Pickens is a bit reliant on his deep ball ability right now. But there’s room for him to expand his game and grow into a truly dominant alpha receiver. ESPN Analytics uses its player-tracking data to give receivers a score for their ability to get open, catch the ball and gain yards after the catch.

It’s a good way to look at what a receiver does independent of the quarterback. Pickens came in eighth, just behind Diontae Johnson and Keenan Allen as a 22-year-old second-year player.

Expect Pickens to gain some respect in a revamped Pittsburgh offense.