Daily camp report: George Pickens saves best for last with dazzling TD catch in 2-minute drill

Mike Tomlin is loathe to compliment rookie training camp phenoms, particularly players who come as highly regarded as Pittsburgh Steelers second-round pick George Pickens.

It is starting to become unavoidable.

Despite his best attempt Wednesday to squash Pickens questions, Tomlin faced one after practice at Saint Vincent.

And how could he not? All Pickens did was make the two signature plays of the two-minute drill that concluded the final period of practice.

The first-team offense, led by quarterback Mason Rudolph, went 60 yards for a touchdown in four plays, and Pickens was the reason the drive was so short. On the third snap, he made a jumping catch down the left side for a gain of about 35 yards, high-pointing the ball as he fell to the ground. Then, with the offense inside the red zone, Pickens made a one-handed catch in the end zone near the left side. Using one arm to fend off cornerback Levi Wallace, Pickens used the other hand to tip the ball in the air, and he cradled it on the second try for the score.

The plays were a continuation of the type of body control and athleticism Pickens has shown the entire camp.

“Dude is just different,” said fourth-round receiver Calvin Austin III. “That’s all I can say — he’s different. He’s different.”

In what way?

“He’s made some plays that I haven’t seen too many people make,” Austin said. “It’s just good because he’s a young guy, too, but he’s still got that mindset where he wants to kill and just work.”

As for Tomlin, he was tasked with answering an inquiry about the areas of Pickens’ game that need improvement.

“Absolutely everything,” he said. “He’s got talent, but there’s a difference between talent and skill. And that’s what we’re trying to educate him. … God gives them the talent. We develop the skill in settings like this, relative to the positions they play.”

Tomlin didn’t detail any new injuries and said players who aren’t practicing are “day-to-day.” He included outside linebacker Alex Highsmith and left guard Kevin Dotson in that group.

For the second consecutive day, the Steelers moved up practice to 10:30 a.m. because of the threat of inclement weather in the afternoon.

“We just enjoy working in the heat of the day,” Tomlin said, “but work is the priority.”

By practicing in the morning, the Steelers shifted their daily walkthrough until the afternoon. The Steelers are scheduled to practice Thursday afternoon at Saint Vincent in their final public workout before the preseason opener Saturday night against the Seattle Seahawks at Acrisure Stadium.

“We appreciate the plays being made out here, but it really just sets the stage for what happens in stadium,” Tomlin said. “And so that is our focus as we start to lean in on the weekend. Friday, we’ll start establishing some depth in terms of who’s playing and division of labor for the weekend. We just like to stay where we are right now. If we start leaning toward the weekend too much, we don’t take advantage of the opportunity that is Wednesday and Thursday. That’s just our general mindset.”