If Dallas can’t reach a long-term deal with their star receiver, the Cowboys’ best bet might be to hit George Pickens with the franchise tag and see if a trade can work. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, looking at wide receiver trades over the past five seasons, a reasonable estimate of Pickens’ compensation in terms of trade value has emerged.
The Cowboys likely expect Pickens to give them 800 to 950 points on the Jimmy Johnson trade value list; the equivalent of a pick between the No. 18 and No. 21 picks. Even with this information, there are still two very important parts to the deal being completed. One is which teams are interested in paying the price, and the other is which teams Pickens will accept a trade from.
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No team will trade Pickens without an extension, so the receiver and his agent, David Mulugheta, will work out the details just as Mulugheta did for Micah Parsons in the Green Bay trade. Here are some teams that fit the bill, pun intended.
The Bills were scheduled to open a new stadium in 2026, but were once again eliminated from the playoffs in a season that was expected to reach the Super Bowl. Buffalo has its top quarterback in Josh Allen, who has finished in the top five in MVP voting four times, including a win in 2024. While teams can’t find him to be a top receiving weapon, he could be a top-five prospect again in 2025. Buffalo could easily prove that Pickens is the missing link in their offense, allowing their other receivers to move back up the depth chart.
The No. 26 pick is only worth 700 points, so the Bills also have to pass on a third-round pick worth 140 points.
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2. San Francisco 49ers (27th overall, 91st overall)
The 49ers were also eliminated in the divisional round on Saturday and have the same horrific wideout depth chart. Their top player, Brandon Aiyuk, is definitely on his way out, and the team doesn’t have anyone to replace him. Adding Pickens, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey to Kyle Shanahan’s system would be a Super Bowl-caliber skill group.
Will the Cowboys tax their longtime rival more? Maybe SF will have to trade a second third-round pick (they have three) in a draft swap for Dallas’ fourth.
3. Los Angeles Chargers (22nd pick, 123rd pick)
The Chargers’ offense has bigger problems than the health of the offensive line. Their top three receivers have each played at least 14 games and have not reached 800 receiving yards. Adding Pickens to the mix, along with their returning tackles, could allow Justin Herbert to truly reach the level many thought he already had.
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4. New England Patriots (30th pick, Pickens 62nd pick, 112th pick)
The Patriots’ draft pick is just a projection right now as they’re still alive for the playoffs this year. Interestingly, New England has a WR1 in Stefon Diggs, but he faced legal trouble this offseason and the team could easily release him from the final two years of his contract without doing much damage to their salary cap situation. Derek Meyer will likely win MVP this season, so Pickens seems comfortable going to a top team in the AFC with a young star quarterback.
Dallas must include their fourth-rounder to make this job draft value wise.
5. Indianapolis Colts (No. 47, No. 80, Pickens, third round, ’27, No. 112)
The Colts face a situation where their top receiver, Alec Pierce, is a pending free agent, just like Pickens. If they lose him to another team, they’ll actually move up, but the problem is that their first rounder is already the property of the New York Jets.
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There’s also the opportunity for a player swap here if the Colts invest additional draft compensation as well.
Pierce led the NFL in yards per catch the past two seasons at 21.8, but his targets or catch numbers were nowhere near that level. The club would have to invest at least a third-round pick to sweeten the deal.
It’s an unknown, but it has the basis for smart talent acquisition. The Panthers won’t have to pay for Tetoria McMillan for the next few seasons, and adding Pickens to the offense appears to be a big help as they’re eight wins in a winnable division. The bigger question is would Pickens want to play with Bryce Young?
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Wild Card: Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 21)
With Mike Tomlin retiring, what if the Steelers decide to try again with Pickens? With a new head coach and a new philosophy, would he be receptive to something like this? One has to imagine the Steelers have a better long-term solution at quarterback than going with grandpa Aaron Rodgers at running back in 2026 to pique Pickens’ interest.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 7 Teams That Could Be Trade Points for Pickens Including Bills, 49ers
