March 18, 2021 · 9:42 AM

AJ Green | Georgia Highlights

For your viewing pleasure…

The Green-Pickens comparisons are interesting, of course, as both were their teams’ number one receivers and both are physically skilled.  I’m just not sure I see Pickens at AJ’s level quite yet, though.  And y’all?

48 Comments

Filed under Georgia Football

48 responses to “AJ Green | Georgia Highlights”

  1. snoopdawgydawg
    March 18, 2021 at 9:50 AM

    AJ Green had an effortless ability to be open when he needed to be(when he was eligible). Pickens is one of the better receivers I’ve seen come through Athens, but I haven’t seen the AJ Green effect from him yet. Some of that is the difference in the quarterbacks throwing him the ball, which isn’t his fault. AJ Green is UGA Hall of Fame; I’d put Pickens in the Hall of Very Good.

    Maybe this year is the year he breaks out?

    Liked by 4 people

    • gastr1
      March 18, 2021 at 10:08 AM

      Agreed. He’s not on Green’s level yet on getting separation by using his length and leverage.

      Liked by 1 person

    • gastr1
      March 18, 2021 at 10:10 AM

      Also, that catch on the highlights on the slant vs. SC. Good gravy, man. Possibly the most underrated great catch ever, because you know Stafford was throwing bullets.

      Like

  2. MGW
    March 18, 2021 at 9:57 AM

    No way. Pickens is great but AJ was absolutely transcendent. Every single game he played he did at least one thing that looked impossible. It was like watching a little circus act. Pickens has had a few of those, but that was just AJ Green’s game.

    Pickens seems to be somewhere between a Malcolm Mitchell/Mecole Hardman type, and AJ Green, though. That’s meant as very high praise.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. ericstrattonrushchairmandamngladtomeetyou
    March 18, 2021 at 10:01 AM

    I think Pickens potentially is another AJ Green. He has done some great things already but I think 2021 will be a breakout year for him with JT throwing him the ball for an entire season.

    Liked by 3 people

    • MGW
      March 18, 2021 at 11:15 AM

      AJ was AJ from day one, which is why Pickens will never be AJ. But he can have a year as good as any AJ did and has the potential to develop into the same (or maybe close to it) quality as AJ this year. Certainly can be as valuable to the team and as big of a headache for defenses, and of course has the opportunity to help us win a title.

      I can’t think of a receiver I’d trade him for.

      Side note, one thing he and AJ really do have in common is that they’re ass kickers, especially for their size. Those dudes can scrap.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. The Truth
    March 18, 2021 at 10:35 AM

    Is it a testament to AJ’s greatness that we didn’t see him have to lay out to catch many balls as opposed to that being a significant part of Pickens’ highlight reel to date? To me, Pickens’ ability (or willingness — I’m looking at you, Matt Landers) to lay out is his defining feature so far. He’s not AJ — yet.

    Like

    • chuckdawg
      March 18, 2021 at 11:21 AM

      AJ had a tremendously better QB, light years beyond better

      Liked by 4 people

      • eethomaswfnc
        March 18, 2021 at 11:47 AM

        AJ played a year with Joe Cox and a year with a freshman Murray. Sure, AJ spent his freshman year with Stafford. It’s not like Pickens struggled to get the ball as a freshman from Fromm.

        Like

        • TN Dawg
          March 18, 2021 at 12:54 PM

          Stafford > Fromm
          Bennett/Daniels > Cox
          JTD ?? Murray

          Like

          • Senator Blutarsky
            March 18, 2021 at 1:00 PM

            If you’re saying Bennett + Daniels combined are better than Cox, okay.

            If you’re saying each is better? Well, Bennett’s passer rating was 128.66 and Cox’ was 135.92. Basically, they’re interchangeable.

            Like

          • eethomaswfnc
            March 18, 2021 at 2:28 PM

            SBIV wasn’t better than Cox. Daniels is clearly better.

            Liked by 1 person

          • miltondawg
            March 18, 2021 at 3:10 PM

            With respect to Murray vs. JT, Murray’s career passer rating average was 158.6 with a high in 2012 as a junior of 174.8 and a low of 146.4 as a sophomore. Daniels’ passer rating in four games for Georgia was 178.5. That being said, clearly weapons (and probably opponents) had something to do with Daniels as he was 128.6 as a freshman in 11 games. I don’t really know what to take from that, but he had 14 TDs and 10 INTs. If you use Murray’s best year he threw 36 TDs to 10 INTs with almost 3,900 yards, 10.1 YPA, and a 64.5% completion percentage in 14 games . If you calculated what Daniels would be if he played in 14 games at Georgia (essentially multiplying all his stats by 3.5), of course the passer rating and completion percentage would be the same with 35 TDs, 7 INTs, and 4,310 yards. Obviously it probably wouldn’t have worked out that way exactly, but either JT is about the same as Murray with similar talent in an offense with plenty of weapons or Murray is slightly better if JT is closer to his career passer rating of 140.2. Honestly, I watch so little 12PAC football that I can’t really tell you what USC was like when he was a freshman.

            Like

  5. Dawgfan1995
    March 18, 2021 at 10:44 AM

    Pickens has to do a couple of things to get to A.J. Green’s level. First, his head has to be right — in the right mindset to do what’s best for the team. Not to be overly critical, but Pickens’s blocking efforts are mixed at best and flatout nonexistent at worst.

    The other thing Pickens has to do is what others have said — learning to get open and creating that separation to allow his QB to make the throw safely.

    Pickens has an amazing ability to catch nearly everything — I think he’s only dropped like one pass during his two years in Athens. He’s a different player, though. Pickens is more Terrell Owens than he is a glider like A.J. was.

    Liked by 2 people

  6. David D
    March 18, 2021 at 10:47 AM

    Bittersweet viewing. A.J. played with some incredible offensive talent on some shitty defensive teams during his entire time in Athens. Green should’ve had the game winner at home vs. LSU in ’09. SEC official Marc Curles decided he’d screw us instead. Still hard to watch.

    Liked by 4 people

    • 69Dawg
      March 18, 2021 at 11:05 AM

      One of a number of time the damn Tech man was making calls. Total and complete BS. The whole crew got suspended after the UF Arky game that year.

      Liked by 2 people

      • ericstrattonrushchairmandamngladtomeetyou
        March 18, 2021 at 1:20 PM

        I think what happened in the LSU-UGA game influenced the suspension of the Curles crew. It became apparent after the Arky-FU game that Curles and company had an agenda of their own and to his credit Slive acted after the second national disgrace by that crew. Alive should have fired them though, not just suspended them.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. mddawg
    March 18, 2021 at 10:50 AM

    I’m sorry, what was the question? I’ll be in my bunk…

    Like

  8. miltondawg
    March 18, 2021 at 10:51 AM

    I’ll be very interested to see what Pickens looks like with a full spring practice working with JT and, hopefully, a summer of working with JT. I don’t think that it can be overstated that a year of working together and getting on the same page should do wonders for Pickens (and JT).

    Liked by 1 person

    • MGW
      March 18, 2021 at 11:23 AM

      Daniels getting into a rhythm with Pickens and Burton could be a pretty huge deal for all three of those guys.

      I’d be curious to hear from some QB’s or QB coaches about just how much that makes a difference, but moreover how long it takes to click. Also how big a deal it is to shift from throwing to your #1 guy to others who you still have a good feel for but who you throw to a good deal less in game situations.

      Liked by 1 person

      • MGW
        March 18, 2021 at 11:26 AM

        Also how it changes the way a QB throws, for example, the deep ball. If you’re as familiar as, say, Matt Ryan and Julio, are you more likely to throw a more precisely “on a rope as far as this guy can go” deep ball versus putting a little more air under it so it’s at least catchable and not overthrown if it’s a newer guy you don’t throw to as much.

        Like

        • eethomaswfnc
          March 18, 2021 at 11:39 AM

          I think I remember AJ telling Murray in 2010 to try to overthrow him.

          Like

          • Down Island Way
            March 18, 2021 at 4:23 PM

            Do not compare current receivers to A.J. Green, # 8 just seemed to get it from the start, he had a real good idea of progressive route running vs what fellow receivers were running, what the play was supposed to produce vs what the defender was giving/taking from him…when the opposition dc goes into switch defender mode, you know you got ’em…

            Liked by 1 person

  9. ASEF
    March 18, 2021 at 10:51 AM

    I think Pickens’ style is more physical – but that’s in part because he doesn’t get the same separation, as others have noted.

    If Pickens develops the ability to reliably wrong-step DBs with his route running, he’s going to be flat out impossible to cover. But he’s not quite there yet.

    Liked by 2 people

  10. Joel Davis
    March 18, 2021 at 10:56 AM

    I havent watch that video yet, but my memory of AJ is that he did a lot more after the catch than I see from Pickens right now. And that he was faster (but not as strong)

    Like

  11. biggusrickus
    March 18, 2021 at 11:06 AM

    I think Pickens is more or less at Green’s level now. Green was more polished and better at control and positioning coming in. In fairness, the 2019 offense didn’t do Pickens any favors, and there was no Massaquoi opposite him.

    Liked by 4 people

  12. eethomaswfnc
    March 18, 2021 at 11:10 AM

    AJ is an incredible talent that even as a freshman looked like a man among boys in college. The fact that Pickens is even being compared to him speaks volumes for the pure talent #1 has.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Tim B
    March 18, 2021 at 11:15 AM

    This isn’t hard at all. If you offered me a choice of either Pickens or A.J. to be on this year’s team I’d pick AJ every time. Not even close. Pickens only seems to show up for 25% of the games and when he does he isn’t close to the complete player A.J. is/was.

    Like

  14. Derek
    March 18, 2021 at 11:16 AM

    AJ was a more polished, mature football player. Pickens has more tools: bigger, faster, stronger. The question is what he’ll do with them.

    One thing they share?

    If the ball hits their hands, then they’ll catch it.

    Liked by 4 people

  15. gatriguy
    March 18, 2021 at 11:48 AM

    For all of Stafford’s arm strength, his accuracy was never great and his ball handling sucked.

    Like

    • waterloodawg
      March 18, 2021 at 12:07 PM

      He didn’t have much of a touch on the ball until that last season. I remember him bouncing balls off receivers hands, chests, and helmets. We just didn’t have many people who could catch a rocket ten yards out.

      Like

  16. jdawg108
    March 18, 2021 at 11:48 AM

    I don’t think Pickens has to be an AJ in Monkens offense.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. RangerRuss
    March 18, 2021 at 12:13 PM

    Pickens is thicker and more durable with potentially the talent of Green.
    AJ is a plastic receiver.

    Like

  18. frozendawg
    March 18, 2021 at 12:13 PM

    Maturity is the obvious differentiator…AJ came out of the box focused and balling…as I said in previous posts I think George has a slightly higher ceiling due to his size and speed. Last season, he faced almost exclusively SEC defenses (while we were trying to settle in on a starting QB) and in the bowl a senior laden defense…not to mention no offseason with a starting QB. So George’s year 2 had its challenges. AJ is the measuring stick for all UGA receivers, but George gives us a shot at potentially having an All-American at WC…which if that happens, none of us will complain.

    Liked by 4 people

  19. Wolfman
    March 18, 2021 at 12:16 PM

    I’m also on the AJ train here. I have never seen a player contort his body IN THE AIR at will like AJ did.

    Like

  20. TN Dawg
    March 18, 2021 at 12:58 PM

    AJ had more of Randy Moss’s aerial ability.

    Pickens has more of Randy Moss’s attitude.

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Russ
    March 18, 2021 at 3:09 PM

    First, screw Marc Curles and Greg McGarity.

    With that out of the way, I’ll say they look indistinguishable to me. Maybe AJ has more speed or is a little more shifty but ball catching seems the same to me. AJ benefitted from having a better system and some good QBs throwing to him. (Yeah I know he played with Joe Cox.) George has really only had four games where he had both a competent system and QB in which he could shine.

    I know he’s probably gone after this season but if he plays this year and next he could easily be in the same conversation with AJ for Georgia greatness. But the talent level seems eerily similar to me.

    Liked by 2 people

  22. PTC DAWG
    March 18, 2021 at 3:38 PM

    The numbers, they are out there….keep in mind Pickens played a 9 game all SEC Schedule this past year…

    AJ’s Stats
    https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/aj-green-1.html

    George’s Stats
    https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/george-pickens-1.html

    Like

  23. PTC DAWG
    March 18, 2021 at 3:39 PM

    I still say the GT guy started it. GATA George.

    Liked by 2 people

  24. silvercreekdawg
    March 19, 2021 at 8:29 AM

    AJ was a more polished route runner in college. He also had a deeper route tree.

    But I think GP can get there.

    Like