The Athletic's James Boyd expects Alec Pierce to emerge as the Colts' 2nd most targeted WR. Boyd believes Pierce's combination of size and speed will make him a more valuable weapon for QB Matt Ryan than WR Parris Campbell, especially in the red zone. We ultimately like targeting both these guys near the end of fantasy drafts.
Colts QB Matt Ryan showed some love for rookie WR Alec Pierce. “More so than anything he does on the field, it’s the combination of the work ethic, the competitiveness, all of the intangible stuff combined with the talent,” Ryan explained. “If you’re going to be a great player in this league, which I think he can be, you’ve got to have it all.” It’s been a smooth summer for Pierce, who’s most recently impressed at join practices with Detroit. “It was good to see Alec make a couple of those plays [in joint practices]– a couple of those back-shoulder plays,” HC Frank Reich said. “I thought Matt put a couple of those right on the money. Alec made the plays. Those are the kind of things we saw from Alec in college.” A Round 2 pick, Pierce looks like a dark horse candidate for 90-100 targets.
Colts HC Frank Reich wants a more balanced offense this season after ranking 28th in pass rate last year. "You don’t see teams that have this ground-and-pound run game win championships,” Reich said. “You just don’t. I’m sure it’s happened with one or two teams, but our best formula is to be balanced." Reich also conceded that it will mean fewer touches for RB Jonathan Taylor. "I’m not saying he won’t lead the league in touches, because you never know how things are going to play out. But I almost don’t want him to," he said of Taylor. “The goal is not to lead the league in rushing. The goal is not to make him the MVP of the league. The goal is to win championships." Taylor easily led the league with 332 carries last year -- 25 more than anyone else. So he can afford to lose some and still be a fantasy stud. More passing, of course, would be good news for QB Matt Ryan, WR Michael Pittman and the rest of the Colts' pass catchers.
Colts QB Matt Ryan impressed coaches, teammates and the media with his play and leadership this offseason. “Matt was unbelievable,” HC Frank Reich said. “Really, A-Z, he did everything right. Just great leadership, great play. I mean, the whole way he took command … I knew he was good, but his accuracy is insane." OC Marcus Brady said Ryan is "damn near a coach on the field." And rookie WR Alec Pierce said, "He could basically run this offense and this team by himself." We'd expect the 14-year veteran to impress in the intangibles department. But, by all accounts, Ryan's arm strength and accuracy were excellent over the past few months. He's still not an exciting fantasy asset in a run-first offense and without rushing upside. But Ryan's arrival could be a boost for the Colts' skill-position players.
Colts GM Chris Ballard pointed to WR Alec Pierce's downfield ability as a reason they targeted him in the draft. “The one thing you notice about Pierce is he gets behind people,” Ballard said. “This kid can really, really run and really adjust to the football." Pierce averaged 17.5 yards per catch over the last 3 seasons at Cincinnati and clocked a 4.41-second 40 time at 6'3, 211 pounds at the Combine. “One of the things I like on (Pierce’s) tape is I like him outside,” HC Frank Reich said. “I think he’s very good versus press, I think he’s got length and vertical speed to get down the field. I think for his size, he’s a very good route runner." Pierce has a golden opportunity to win Indianapolis' #2 WR job behind Michael Pittman. He's a nice Round 2 target in dynasty rookie drafts and is worth a look in the later stages of redrafts.
Colts beat writer Zak Keefer believes rookie WR Alec Pierce’s athleticism makes him a “candidate for the Colts #2 WR job.” The competition isn’t exactly fierce, as the Colts have Parris Campbell, Dezmon Patmon, Ashton Dulin, Keke Coutee and Mike Strachan as depth. “He’s got really good size, has really good vertical speed,” GM Chris Ballard said. “He’s got work to do, like any rookie receiver that comes into the league, but we think he’s got a chance to really ascend.” This summer, the 22-year-old could certainly enter the mix as a late-round flier in deep formats. Indy lost 69 targets with the loss of Zach Pascal — and potentially 37 more from free agent T.Y. Hilton, if he moves on.
The Colts selected Cincinnati WR Alec Pierce with the 53rd overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Pierce never reached 900 receiving yards across 4 college seasons, topping out with a 52-884-8 line this past year. But he left school with a big 17.5 yards-per-catch average and pops as a big-play threat on tape. Pierce is a contested-catch dominator (he played basketball and volleyball in high school) and a natural ball tracker. His 99.3 deep receiving grade from Pro Football Focus last year ranked 27th among 275 qualifiers. The 6’3, 211-pounder registered a 4.41-second 40 time and a big 40.5-inch vertical at the Combine to earn a 98th percentile Relative Athletic Score. We see shades of Marvin Jones in his game. Pierce lands in a nice spot, with a clear path to the #2 WR job behind Michael Pittman.
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