{"id":83020,"date":"2025-05-27T16:10:12","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T16:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/83020\/"},"modified":"2025-05-27T16:10:12","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T16:10:12","slug":"prep-opponents-jalen-tolbert-george-pickens-now-nfl-teammates-with-the-dallas-cowboys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/83020\/","title":{"rendered":"Prep opponents Jalen Tolbert, George Pickens now NFL teammates with the Dallas Cowboys"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Jalen Tolbert<\/a>\u2018s final high school football game, McGill-Toolen lost to Hoover 17-7 in the AHSAA Class 7A championship contest for the 2016 season. The setback ended a 22-game winning streak for the Yellow Jackets, who had captured the state title the previous season.<\/p>\n

George Pickens<\/a> was a sophomore on Hoover\u2019s championship team in 2016. Now he and Tolbert are on the same side of the field after the Dallas Cowboys obtained Pickens in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a> this offseason.<\/p>\n

It remains to be seen if Tolbert will lose again to Pickens \u2013 this time targets. Both players are wide receivers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve known GP for a while,\u201d Tolbert said<\/a>, \u201cand it adds more firepower to us. And honestly, like I say, that\u2019s what we need, and that\u2019s going to be the fun part because you can\u2019t guard all three of us, or four or five, whoever is out there. And so having another piece to the puzzle is special. And like I say, I\u2019m ready to work, compete off of each other and continue to keep growing.\u201d<\/p>\n

A third-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft after he recorded consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons and won the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year Award in 2021 at South Alabama<\/a>, Tolbert had two receptions for 12 yards as a rookie. <\/p>\n

In his second season, Tolbert had 22 receptions for 268 yards and two touchdowns. Last season, Tolbert improved his numbers again to 49 receptions for 610 yards and seven touchdowns as he started 15 games. <\/p>\n

In each of Tolbert\u2019s seasons with Dallas, CeeDee Lamb has been a Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Cowboys, recording 343 receptions for 4,302 yards and 27 touchdowns over the last three years. But Tolbert led Dallas in touchdown receptions last season.<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter than I did last year, that\u2019s the goal,\u201d Tolbert said<\/a> of the 2025 season. \u201cKeep stacking, keep growing each and every year. Keep putting it on film, keep proving people wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tolbert said<\/a> his annual increase in production was due to \u201cconfidence and chemistry, and like I say, just continuing to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the beauty of it in my eyes,\u201d Tolbert said<\/a>, \u201cis that nobody has truly seen my full potential, not even myself. I know what I can do, I know what I\u2019m capable of, and so I just have to keep proving that to myself and everybody else around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pickens entered the NFL from Georgia as a second-round draft selection in 2022. In his three NFL seasons, Pickens has 174 receptions for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns.<\/p>\n

On May 7, the Steelers sent Pickens and a sixth-round pick in the 2027 draft to the Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. The deal would appear to move Tolbert back to No. 3 in Dallas\u2019 wide-receiver pecking order, where he started the 2024 season before Brandin Cooks sustained an injury four games into the campaign. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re both ones,\u201d Lamb said<\/a> of pairing with Pickens. \u201cIt ain\u2019t no A, B \u2013 none of that. It\u2019s one. You look over there, you see one. You look over here, you see another one, so do what you got to do with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cowboys started the final phase of their offseason drills last week. During the Phase 3 or Organized Team Activities portion of the NFL\u2019s offseason calendar, teams are allowed to engage in 11-on-11, non-contact drills, and Tolbert said the Dallas offense has a lot of potential with Dak Prescott at quarterback.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, honestly, you got to hold yourself back right now because it is OTAs,\u201d Tolbert said<\/a>. \u201cBut the thought of it is special. And we even had a package in where we have (KaVontae Tuprin) in, and it\u2019s four wide receivers. And so the ability that we have and the firepower that can go out there on that field and play alongside with Dak at quarterback is special.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tolbert said Pickens was picking up the playbook quickly. He also praised the offseason-program work of rookie linebacker Shemar James<\/a>, a fifth-round draft pick<\/a> from Florida. James is a former Mobile high school standout at Faith Academy.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s from the crib,\u201d Tolbert said<\/a>, \u201cso shout out to little bro. He\u2019s doing well, doing good out there. Talking to him every day, making sure he\u2019s good, so shout out to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

FOR MORE OF AL.COM\u2019S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE<\/a><\/p>\n

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1<\/a>.<\/p>\n