2022 NFL Draft Profiles: Should the Jaguars Target Alec Pierce on Day 2?

After a strong college career and an elite combine performance, shoudl Alec Pierce be on the Jaguars' radar?

Author:
John Shipley
Publish date:
Mar 27, 2022 5:59 PM EDT

The 2022 NFL Draft season is upon us.

Among the 32 teams building their rosters to compete for the next Lombardi Trophy is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold 12 picks in this season’s draft -- including the No. 1 overall pick. The Jaguars are entering a new era after the Urban Meyer tenure, making this draft as pivotal as one could imagine.

As we march closer and closer to April’s draft, we will look at individual draft prospects and how they would potentially fit with the Jaguars. Instead of looking at any negatives, we are going to look at what the players do well and if they could match what the Jaguars need at the specific role or position.

In our next prospect breakdown, we take a look at Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Alec Pierce. Does he make sense for the Jaguars on Day 2 of the draft?

Overview

A 6-foot-3, 196-pound receiver out of high school, Alec Pierce was one of Illinois' top prospects in the 2018 recruiting cycle. Ranked a three-star prospect by 247Sports, Pierce was the state's No. 25 ranked prospect, the No. 174 receiver in the country and the No. 1,164 ranked played overall.

Pierce ultimately committed to Cincinnati after collecting 17 offers. He chose the Bearcats over offers from Air Force, Army, Navy, Central Michigan, Northern Iowa, and Bowling Green.

Pierce played in 11 games as a true freshman, mostly appearing as a special teams standout and catching zero passes. Pierce then broke out as a sophomore, starting 13 games at wide receiver and catching 37 passes (second on the team) for 652 yards (first) and two touchdowns, giving him a team-best 17.6 yards per catch.

Pierce then played in just six games in 2020 due to separate knee and shoulder injuries. In the shortened season, he caught 17 passes for 315 yards (18.5 yards per catch) and three touchdowns. In 2021, Pierce bounced back with 14 starts and was named All-AAC Second-Team after 52 catches for 884 yards (17.0 yards per catch) and eight touchdowns.

Pierce turned in an extremely impressive combine performance which saw him finish with the fourth-best RAS among wide receivers thanks to top-tier size (6-foot-3, 211 pounds), unreal explosion (40.5-inch vertical, 10'09" broad jump) and enticing speed (4.41 40-yard dash, 1.55 10-yard split). One of his closest athletic comparisons? Former Jaguars wide receiver and second-round pick DJ Chark.

What Alec Pierce Does Well

It isn't hard to find Alec Pierce on the field when you consider his height and massive frame. He almost looks like a move tight end against smaller defensive backs and his strong percentile measurements in height, weight, length, and wingspan all reflect the fact that he is a massive weapon on the outside of any offense.

Pierce was used as exactly that king of big-bodied threat in the Bearcats' offense, often winning downfield thanks to his terrific ability to win with the ball in the air. Pierce has legit deep speed as a vertical threat and can get a step behind cornerbacks, but he has a massive catch radius and plays to it in every way. He is an accuracy eraser for quarterbacks thanks to his ability to highpoint passes and adjust to throws outside of his frame.

Aside from the fact that he can win downfield, Pierce has also shown he can win at the line of scrimmage. He has an extremely explosive first step off the ball and has shown good hand usage to beat press and keep defenders out of his frame. He consistently wins the outside and gets separation against press because he plays with good suddenness and natural play strength.

Pierce is also a player who doesn't have to be shoehorned into one specific role. He has the understanding for finding gaps in zone coverages and strong hands and physicality over the middle to win as a slot receiver, where he also lined up at times with the Bearcats. A receiver with his blend of power, size and explosiveness in the slot is a mismatch and he gives you that option.

How Alec Pierce Would Fit With the Jaguars

Alec Pierce is one of the best fits in the entire draft for the Jaguars. The Jaguars have shown this offseason that they emphasize a few different specific traits at receiver (versatility, explosiveness) that Pierce matches up with. He can win deep and align as the Z or X receiver and point man of a passing game, but he can also be used as a game plan-specific mismatch thanks to his size and speed.

If Pierce joined the Jaguars roster today, he would be the clear ball-winner in the Jaguars' receiver room due to his size, speed and hands. While the Jaguars have a number of receivers who can win underneath and in the middle of the field, Pierce is a proven player at the catch-point who can serve as the long possession receiver Trevor Lawrence has proven he can thrive is.

There is a question of whether Pierce's lack of yards after the catch upside would make him as appealing as other receiver options, but he would be the biggest receiver on the Jaguars' roster and give them the type of option they don't have after the release of DJ Chark.

Still, Pierce would be a clear asset for an offense that will move its weapons around to give them as much versatility as possible. He can line up in multiple spots, win downfield and in the red zone and be used in a variety of ways by head coach Doug Pederson and offensive coordinator Press Taylor.

Verdict

Pierce is a player who would check off lot of boxes for the Jaguars. He would give them another receiver who can play both inside and out, something the staff clearly covets, while also giving them a tall, long and big-framed receiver who can line up on the outside and free up space downfield.

Pierce has the tape and measurements to justify a second-round selection, but the sweet spot for him may be at No. 33 overall. If there is a massive receiver run in the first round, there is a real chance Pierce could be one of the best options at receiver at No. 33, but the Jaguars would likely be better off waiting for another thirty picks.

For all of our 2022 NFL Draft profiles, click below.