What Are the Colts Getting in Alec Pierce?
The Indianapolis Colts came into the draft with a need at receiver, and they took a swing at wideout Alec Pierce with the 53rd overall pick.
Pierce -- who is 6-foot-3, 208 pounds -- was a key cog of a Cincinnati team that crashed the College Football Playoff last season. While he never had elite on-field production -- 52 catches, 884 yards and eight scores as a fourth-year senior -- Pierce tested extremely well at the combine. According to PlayerProfiler, he rates in at least the 90th percentile in 40-yard dash (4.41), speed score, burst score and catch radius.
Will he help the Colts be more explosive offensively?
Player Comparisons
Our Brandon Gdula's draft database has found these 10 prior prospects to have the most similar statistical profiles to Pierce’s. Keep in mind that these are based not on play style or traits but age, athleticism, draft equity, experience, efficiency, and production.
| Rank | Alec Pierce Profile Comparisons | Similarity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aaron Dobson | 92.9% |
| 2 | Denzel Mims | 92.8% |
| 3 | Cody Latimer | 91.9% |
| 4 | Tee Higgins | 91.9% |
| 5 | DeVante Parker | 91.0% |
| 6 | Austin Pettis | 90.3% |
| 7 | Bryan Edwards | 89.9% |
| 8 | Terrace Marshall Jr. | 89.0% |
| 9 | DeVier Posey | 88.2% |
| 10 | AJ Green | 87.9% |
Gdula's Take: Pierce has the physical traits -- size and speed -- to transition well to the NFL. He didn't, however, pair that with a lot of production at Cincinnati. His reception market share score puts him in the 22nd percentile, and his efficiency metrics are in the 37th percentile.
Alec Pierce's 2022 Fantasy Football Projection
Gdula’s initial projections for Pierce include 44 catches, 561 yards and 3.1 touchdowns, making him the PPR WR72 for the season.
While that projection is very meh, the Colts clearly need help at receiver alongside Michael Pittman Jr., and they haven't yet addressed the position in free agency. Pierce should have a chance to assume number-two duties ahead of Parris Campbell if he hits the ground running. It remains to be seen if Matt Ryan will be an upgrade on Carson Wentz and elevate Indy's offense.
On FanDuel Sportsbook, the Colts are listed at +2200 to win the Super Bowl, and they are -105 to take the AFC South, and they have a win total projection of 9.5 -- with -150 juice on the over.
