Torry Holt knows good wide receiver play when he sees it. He spent nine seasons catching passes for the Los Angele Rams during their “Greatest Show on Turf” days, so his opinion carries weight. Most people figured he’d back his own team’s rising star, Puka Nacua. But Holt did the opposite. He looked across the league at Dallas and picked the Cowboys’ wide receiver over Nacua.

“I believe George Pickens is probably the most athletic out of all these guys on this list. George Pickens, and I said this to you last year, Kay,” Tory Holt said on Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams. “When he continues to mature and clean himself up and really dial in on what it takes to be a wide receiver in the National Football League and show consistency, production, he has it all. He can run, he can jump, he can catch, run after the catch, he can block, he can do everything on the football field when he locks himself into his job and his job only.”

Puka Nacua entered the league as a fifth-round steal in 2023, while George Pickens arrived in Dallas following a blockbuster trade. Last season, both players proved that draft pedigree matters far less than what they put on tape.

Nacua led the entire NFL with 129 receptions last season, and that snowballed into 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns, good enough to earn him a first-team All-Pro nod. Pickens told a different kind of story. In his first season wearing a star on his helmet, he caught 93 passes for a career-high 1,429 yards, plus 9 touchdowns of his own. That earned him second-team All-Pro honors.

Dig into the per-catch numbers, and Pickens actually comes out ahead, averaging 15.4 yards per catch compared to Nacua’s 13.3. Pickens did this on 137 targets while sharing the field (and the targets) with CeeDee Lamb, while Nacua saw 166 targets.

Holt’s comments came during a discussion about which current receiver could eventually challenge Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving record of 1,964 yards.

The list included A.J. Brown, Nacua, Pickens, Ja’Marr Chase, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Justin Jefferson.

Holt identified Chase as the strongest candidate, provided Joe Burrow stays healthy, while also praising Smith-Njigba’s consistency and ability to create separation.

Although Nacua was not Holt’s top choice, the former Rams receiver remained confident in his ability to respond to the challenges he has faced this offseason.

“Puka will be highly energized and very motivated,” Holt said. “He’s going to come out and show everybody what type of wide receiver he is, just as he’s done in the past couple of years.”

Off the field, both receivers face questions about their long-term futures.

The Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Pickens following his breakout season, keeping him in Dallas for now while leaving his future beyond this season unresolved.

Nacua’s situation is more complicated. A civil lawsuit stemming from a December incident led him to enter rehab this offseason, clouding discussions about a potential contract extension. As a result, the Rams could allow him to play out the remainder of his rookie deal before revisiting his long-term future.

For Pickens, Holt’s endorsement carries extra weight. When a Hall of Fame receiver identifies him as one of the league’s most gifted talents, it reinforces the belief that his ceiling remains among the NFL’s highest.