Prospect Bio

As the son of a former Northwestern football player dad and volleyball star mom, Alec Pierce was almost destined to be a high-level athlete. At Glenbard West High School in Illinois, Pierce put that natural athleticism to good use. He played football, volleyball, and basketball. He also ran track where he competed in the 100m, 200m, long jump, and triple jump. On the football field, Pierce played both safety and wideout. As a senior, he caught 25 passes for 372 yards and five touchdowns with three sacks and four interceptions. He was named the Most Valuable Player of his school’s division. As a three-star recruit, Pierce drew the attention of a number of college programs, including Cincinnati, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Massachusetts, and Illinois, among others. He chose the Bearcats where he spent his freshman season on special teams and even got some looks at linebacker during practices. 

Pierce got his chance on offense in 2019. He finished second on the team in receptions (37) and led the wide receivers in receiving yards (652), and scored two touchdowns. A shoulder injury limited him to six games in 2020. In four starts, he caught just 17 passes for 315 yards and three scores. Back to full health in 2021, Pierce hauled in 52 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns in 14 games. He was named second-team all-AAC and received first-team Academic All-American honors.

College Stats

Alec Pierce College Stats Courtesy of sports-reference

Positives

+Size

+Speed; 4.41 40-time; 114.6 (96th-percentile) Speed Score (PlayerProfiler.com)

+133.4 (94th-percentile) Burst Score (PlayerProfiler.com)

+19.3 Breakout Age 

+Contested-catch savant and red zone weapon

+Lined up outside and in the slot 

+Averaged 17 or more YPR in each season 2019-2021

Negatives

-25.2% (36th-percentile) College Dominator (PlayerProfiler)

-Not great after the catch

-Route tree is limited

-29th-percentile Agility Score (PlayerProfiler)

-3.7 receptions per game in 2021

-Not an early declare

-0 career kick/punt returns or rush attempts 

Highlight Reel

Comparable Player: Donovan Peoples-Jones

NFL Draft Projection: Fourth Round

Yards Per-Formance Grade: 29.5

Bottom Line:

Alec Pierce has an excellent combination of size, speed, and explosion to win in the deep and intermediate quadrants of the field. He is a contested catch savant who will dominate in the red zone and will make smaller defenders look silly. He will need to refine his route-running but it’s something he noticeably improved on in 2021. Pierce will be an immediate contributor for whoever drafts him thanks to his skills on special teams, blocking in the run game, and big-play ability. With some work, he can develop into a starting wide receiver that will be best out at Z. In dynasty, Pierce will be a priority pick in the third round of rookie drafts.

Post Draft Analysis:

Alec Pierce in the second round and over Skyy Moore is one of the biggest debacles we saw on Day 2. With that said, it’s a solid landing spot for Pierce from a fantasy football perspective. He gets a great opportunity to earn the starting Z position opposite Michael Pittman. He’s also a good skill set match with new Colts quarterback Matt Ryan who has never been afraid to throw it up to his big-bodied receivers.

Resources: DLF, PlayerProfiler, PFN, PFF, TDN

Yards Per-Formance Prospect Grade