Alec Pierce NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for Indianapolis Colts' WR
April 30, 2022
HEIGHT: 6'3 1/8"
WEIGHT: 211
HAND: 9"
ARM: 33"
WINGSPAN: 6'6 1/2"
40-YARD DASH: 4.33
3-CONE: 7.13
SHUTTLE: 4.28
VERTICAL: 40.5"
BROAD: 10'9"
POSITIVES
— Good height, size and length as an outside receiver.
— Very good overall athlete with body control and explosive jumping ability.
— Legit weapon in the red zone. Has very good catching range and can consistently high-point throws and adjust for back-shoulder throws.
— Aligned outside and in the slot for Cincinnati.
— Consistently wins versus press because of his good foot quickness, balance and play strength.
— Good hands. Comfortable extending for throws away from his body.
— Above-average overall route-runner who showed improvement as the season went along.
— Has experience and production as a special teamer.
— Willing blocker with good play strength and effort.
NEGATIVES
— Average with the ball in his hands. Doesn’t consistently make defenders miss with the ball in tight spaces.
— Still has room for improvement with his route running—namely on comebacks and other tight out-breakers.
2021 STATISTICS
13 G, 52 REC, 884 YDS (17.0 AVG), 8 TD
NOTES
— 2021 second-team All-AAC
OVERALL
Pierce is a very athletic, explosive receiver who aligned in the slot and outside in college. He has good height and size and can win consistently versus press coverage because of his good foot quickness and balance. He can sink enough to keep his chest from being exposed to more physical cornerbacks and maintain his path because of his good core strength and body control.
He is a true ball-winning receiver who high-points throws in the red zone and can consistently adjust his body on back-shoulder throws when running go routes. He has good length, and his natural hands as a receiver on throws to and away from his body allow him to maximize his catching range.
Pierce has more nuance to his game than just ball-winning on contested catches. He improved as a route-runner as the season went along and showed attention to detail with his depth and breaking points. But he does need to continue to refine his route tree and polish. He will need to keep improving on shorter routes to be a true option from the slot. He can also be inconsistent when coming out of his breaks and get “stuck” on the top of his outbreaking routes, such as comebacks. And while Pierce has above-average long speed, he is average with the ball in his hands after the catch. He has flashes of burst and the balance to bounce off defenders but isn’t overly shifty in open space.
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.
GRADE: 7.8 (Potential Impact Player - 2nd Round)
POSITION RANK: WR9
PRO COMPARISON: Eric Decker