Quick Hits: Alec Pierce Talks Draft Experience, Joining Colts
The Indianapolis Colts wasted no time selecting players that were tailor-made for their roster on Friday when they first selected Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce with the 53rd-overall pick in Round 2.
Big, fast, and exceptionally athletic (RAS score of 9.82-out-of-10), the hope is that Pierce develops into a dynamic weapon to pair with Michael Pittman Jr. atop the Colts' receiver depth chart, giving the offense a dangerous passing attack that opponents must account for.
Shortly after getting the phone call from the Colts that he would be their first pick, Pierce spoke with the local media and discussed his journey to the NFL, who he is as a player, and what his relationship with the Colts has been like throughout the pre-draft process.
Here are the quick hits:
Pierce had an impressive meeting with the Colts' offensive coaching staff recently, which may have sealed the deal.
They came to our campus, and we did a private workout. They worked out me, Des (Desmond Ridder) and another wide receiver Michael Young from our team. After the workout, I actually got a call from the GM (Chris Ballard) about how great of a workout it was just as a whole, how impressed he was with our whole program. He basically said he understands how we won so many games, just kind of how we ran that workout and how well it went. So, yeah. That was my big contact, but it was a really good day to meet with Coach (Reggie) Wayne and a couple of the other coaches and go over some tape and learn a little bit of their offense and do some installs and then run some routes for them...
Pretty much all the offensive guys were there and the head coach (Frank Reich). Coach Wayne really worked out me and Mike Young and went through some things. Like all the offensive guys were there.
Pierce had a gut feeling he'd be joining the Colts, even getting some affirmation from his barber.
This morning I kind of had a gut feeling on the Colts. I don’t know what it was, and I did have a buddy predict it. He texted me earlier saying, ‘You’re going to the Colts, man. I had a feeling.’ It was awesome. It was really a place I wanted to go. It’s great...
It was my barber (who texted him). He said he got a message from God. He wanted me to go to the Bengals so he could keep cutting my hair and he’s been praying for me to go to the Bengals, but he said God told him I was going to the Colts.
Versatility is what Pierce he feels he brings to the field, and he models his game after a couple of former NFL All-Pros.
Versatility. I think I’m a guy you can put to the boundary and I’m able to beat coverage one-on-one with speed and size being able to go get the ball, being able to stretch the field vertically and hopefully make them have to play safeties over the top and open up the run game...
Jordy Nelson was probably one of my favorite receivers growing up. So, I’d say Jordy Nelson. I like A.J. Green’s game a lot too. I think that’s a guy I emulate well because not only could A.J. Green run by guys, but you could throw it up and he can go up and jump over guys. I think that’s probably my best comparison is A.J. Green.
Pierce has an extensive athletic background (also played volleyball, basketball, and track in high school), and has even been a Jack-of-All-Trades on the football field.
Growing up, I played, really, a lot of defense. I was a safety all throughout high school until my junior year, I switched over to receiver. Going into college, I was recruited as an athlete. I started off as a receiver, that’s where my body really fit coming out of high school. Pretty skinny, tall and skinny. I had a really good year as a freshman, but I didn’t have any catches, I just played on special teams. So, I switched over just for bowl practices, they tried me out at basically SAM linebacker which is kind of a hybrid safety position, really DB in our league on our defense. I did that for a little bit and I was doing well at it but I would have had to gain a lot of weight. It would have been a long road to play in. Probably would have had to redshirt that next year and gained 20, 30 pounds.
They changed receiver coaches and got a new opportunity with a new coach, and he was the guy who made me the player I am today. He came in from day one and just worked with me, worked on technique and all that. That’s really what I needed. I always had the athleticism, I was just really raw as a receiver.
I think that’s still what I got to keep on working on today is my technique. He really made me the player and kind of gave me the tools to be successful in college.
New Colts wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne is one of the greatest receivers of his era and is the franchise's second all-time leader at the position. Pierce is ready to absorb as much as he can from the future Hall-of-Famer.
Just trying to soak in everything, learn how to become a great wide receiver like he was and play for that long and be that successful for that long in a career.
What do you think of this pick? Drop your thoughts below in the comment section!
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