What draft analysts said about Colts WR Alec Pierce
The Indianapolis Colts found a wide receiver prospect in Alec Pierce during the 2022 NFL draft that checked nearly every box during the process leading up to the big weekend.
With Michael Pittman Jr. entrenched in the WR1 role, the Colts have a wide receiver room that doesn’t have much experience. The amount of upside is plentiful, but development will be key for the rest of the room to make an impact in 2022.
That’s partly why Pierce is such a great fit for the Colts. Though he still has some development of his own to go through, Pierce should compete right away for the complementary role opposite Pittman Jr. in the offense. He can work both on the outside and in the slot, though head coach Frank Reich prefers the former.
Here’s what the draft analysts had to say about Pierce before the Colts made the pick at No. 53 overall:
Dane Brugler, The Athletic (draft guide)
Syndication: The Enquirer
“A three-year starter at Cincinnati, Pierce was an outside receiver in former offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s spread RPO offense. His development was a slow burn the first three years, including an injury-riddled 2020 season, but he blossomed as Desmond Ridder’s No. 1 option in the passing game as a senior and led the team in receiving (72.5 percent of his catches the past two seasons resulted in a first down). Pierce is physical to the football, and his heightened focus is the same at the catch point whether he is wide open or triple-covered. Although he is still honing his route running and separation skills, he is a long, limber athlete who has the ball skills to consistently win in the air. Overall, Pierce is still adding branches to his route tree, but he is a pass catching weapon who is at his best vertically with his springy athleticism and ball-tracking skills. He can be a down-the-road starter.”
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker
“Pierce was a mismatch as a deep-ball target at Cincinnati, but is more likely to be tabbed as a possession receiver with the ability to create some downfield trouble as a pro. He plays a physical brand of ball and has combat-catch toughness, which is important because he’s not an elusive route runner. He can work underneath or challenge a bigger, slower cornerback deep, but the route tree is going to be limited. Some players have traits that don’t show up on the field, but Pierce utilizes both his physical and athletic gifts. He has backup potential with zone-beater and red-zone value, and will likely play on special teams.”
Natalie Miller, Draft Wire
Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
“Pierce is a physical downfield threat with enough polish and experience to make an immediate impact at the next level. His combination of natural hands, impressive athleticism, and a willingness to make contested catches should earn rave reviews from coaches and quarterbacks alike. He’ll be a mismatch at the goal line, and teams will be eager to see if they can develop the other areas of his game to make him a more complete player. A deep receiver class could keep him on the board longer than he should, which could give some team a bargain in the middle rounds.”
Mark Schofield, Touchdown Wire
AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
“Teams looking for that X type of receiver are going to love what he offers. Pierce also saw time on the inside and could operate as a big slot, but his ability to beat press, stack defenders on vertical routes, adjust to off-target throws and high point the football makes him an ideal option on the boundary. I have this sneaky suspicion that what he offers is going to see him come off the board much earlier than current consensus would hold.”
Joe Marino, The Draft Network
AP Photo/Darron Cummings
“A multi-sport athlete from Illinois that competed in football, volleyball, basketball, and track, Alec Pierce made his presence felt as a true freshman on special teams before commanding a big role in the offense starting in 2019. A three-year starter, Pierce’s blend of size, speed, hands, ball skills, body control, and competitive toughness made him a dynamic playmaker for the Bearcats offense. His size, speed, and ball skills are a lethal combination down the field. His ability to track, adjust, and secure the football in traffic down the field is outstanding. Pierce is a deceptive route-runner that accelerates quickly and uses his ability to generate vertical push to open up his route tree and snap off breaks on the horizontal plane in addition to winning down the field.
Pierce is a receiver that “catches everything” and is an alpha in everything he does on the field. He brings the fight as a blocker and demonstrates toughness when competing against press coverage, dealing with contact as a route-runner, and winning at the catch point. While he hasn’t been overly productive after the catch in college, Pierce is decisive and physical with the ball in his hands and he accelerates quickly. When it comes to areas of growth, Pierce can still find more variety with his release package and do a better job of not offering as much surface area when competing against press coverage. He would also benefit from continuing to add functional strength to maximize his style of play at the next level. Pierce has the makings of a productive No. 2/3 receiver in the NFL and it shouldn’t take him long to produce for his offense.”
Tony Pauline, Pro Football Network
AP Photo/Julio Cortez
“Positives: Large, athletic receiver with reliable hands. Displays tremendous focus as well as concentration, tracks the pass in the air, and makes a lot of acrobatic receptions with defenders draped on him. Possesses strong hands, snatches the ball out of the air, and shows outstanding eye/hand coordination.
Comes back to the ball, gets vertical, and makes the tough catch in a crowd. Works hard after the catch. Exposes himself to the big hit in order to make the reception and holds onto the ball. Gives effort blocking and gets results.
Negatives: Doesn’t show much quickness or burst in his game despite his 40 time. Stiff and must improve his route running.
Analysis: Pierce was a dominant pass catcher for Cincinnati and is a nice combination of size, athleticism, and dependability. He possesses an upside but must round out his game and consistently play to his measurables.”
Mike Renner, Pro Football Focus (draft guide)
Syndication: The Enquirer
“Pierce may never be a complete receiver, but he’ll be coveted by vertical based passing offenses.”
Bleacher Report
Syndication The Enquirer
“Overall, Pierce will be an immediate contributor for any NFL offense thanks to his true ball-winning ability that will make him a target in the red zone. He is a good blocker who plays with good effort on every snap in both the run game and on any route he’s asked to execute, which also gives him potential to be utilized as a “power slot” on snaps.
His improvement as a route-runner last season combined with his overall athleticism shows there can be even more room for growth. His package of explosiveness, hands and improvement as a true receiver gives Pierce the upside of a very good starting Z wide receiver for any NFL offense. He can also bump inside for more than a handful of snaps per game and rack up touchdowns for designer plays in the red zone.”
Matt Harmon, Reception Perception
AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
“Weirdly, Pierce’s game kind of reminds me of how people (incorrectly) talked about DK Metcalf’s game coming into the NFL. Metcalf was billed as a stiff, straight-lined route runner who could only handle a few patterns. That was a bad evaluation by too many folks but it does fit Pierce’s game.
Pierce posted truly great success rates on nines and posts. He can shake loose in the vertical game and is a long-strider. His straight-line speed is no joke. He also comes with good ball tracking ability to win in tight coverage down the field. Those trickled into his 71.4% contested catch rate.
Pierce also demonstrated the ability to flip into routes like the slant or flat, against more straight-lined patterns that don’t require much nuance. He’s just going to run into problems on routes where he has to throttle down with fluidity (curl and comeback) or break off a route at 90 degree angles (out and dig) at this point.
While that bad evaluation on DK Metcalf comparison stands, Pierce could end up developing into a Kenny Golladay type of player in the NFL. Primarily a vertical threat who got better as a route-runner during his Detroit years, Golladay is a throwback pure X-receiver. Pierce could slide into a role like that with a team that wants to push the ball down the field.”
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