Colts' Alec Pierce the Subject of Bold Prediction
This year's NFL Draft was loaded with talent at the wide receiver position.
There were six receivers selected in the first round, which was the most among any position, but it's the 12th receiver taken overall that may make the biggest difference in Year 1.
Bleacher Report's Maurice Moton recently made nine bold predictions for the 2022 NFL season, one of them being Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce winning the league's Offensive Rookie of the Year award:
Alec Pierce Wins Offensive Rookie of the Year
The 2022 rookie class doesn't feature a quarterback who has a clear pathway to start in Week 1 or a star running back, which opens up the possibility for an unlikely candidate to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
This group has quality wide receivers, though. As first-round picks, Drake London, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jahan Dotson and Treylon Burks may garner a lot of attention, but one can argue Indianapolis Colts rookie Alec Pierce has a better quarterback situation with Matt Ryan than any of the Day 1 wideouts. As for Jameson Williams, he may need a few weeks to get back to full speed while on the mend from a torn ACL.
At 6'3", 211 pounds with 4.41 speed, Pierce has the physical tools to make a strong statement right out of college. He'll play with an accurate passer in Ryan, who's completed at least 65 percent of his passes in each of the last four seasons and thrown for at least 3,900 yards each year since 2011.
Even though the Colts have fielded a run-heavy offense with running back Jonathan Taylor over the last two seasons, Pierce should see plenty of targets in an aerial attack that only features one reliable pass-catcher in Michael Pittman Jr.
Pierce averaged at least 17 yards per reception in each of his three collegiate terms at Cincinnati. He'll provide some big plays in Indianapolis and bring home the Offensive Rookie of the Year award with 1,200-plus yards and double-digit touchdowns.
As Moton predicted, Pierce reaching at least 1,200 receiving yards and 10-plus touchdowns would almost certainly win him Offensive Rookie of the Year.
While the proclamation may seem to come out of nowhere, Moton isn't the only analyst with big things in mind for Pierce.
ESPN's Mike Clay also sees a significant role for Pierce in the Colts' offense in 2022, predicting him to be fifth among rookie receivers with a more modest 746 yards.
While these are predictions, expectations ought to be tempered for the first-year pass-catcher. Regardless, there is an opportunity for Pierce to flourish as a rookie.
For starters, Pierce fits the Colts offense very well under head coach Frank Reich. The following is from the Indy Draft Guide before the draft on how Pierce might fit with the Colts:
Pierce is the perfect fit for what the Colts are looking for at receiver. He is a dominant field-stretcher that can win with pure speed and athleticism in the NFL. With the Colts desperately needing a Z receiver that can take the top off of a defense, he would be the ideal receiver to pair with Michael Pittman Jr. for the foreseeable future.
A part of why Pierce was selected by the Colts was the lack of established receivers on the roster. Outside of Michael Pittman Jr., who had his first 1,000-yard season in 2021, no other current Colts receiver caught more than 13 passes last year. The window is open for Pierce to snatch a respectable portion of the targets in this offense.
The last major reason Pierce could feasibly be a threat for the award is quarterback Matt Ryan, who has historically played well with big receivers like Pierce, likes to throw downfield, and has above-average accuracy.
So far, what we've seen from Pierce has been positive. He was a standout in the spring during OTAs and minicamps, using his size and tracking ability to make some impressive end-zone snags.
What do you expect from Pierce in 2022? Drop your thoughts below in the comment section!
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