The Colts added juice to Reggie Wayne's wide receiver room on Friday, selecting Cincinnati wideout Alec Pierce with the No. 53 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The 6-foot-3, 211 pound Pierce caught 52 passes for 884 yards with eight touchdowns and was a team captain for the Bearcats, who reached the College Football Playoff, in 2021. Over 45 games (30 starts) with Cincinnati, Pierce caught 106 passes for 1,851 yards (17.5 yards/reception) with 13 touchdowns.
One of Pierce's biggest games of his senior year came in Cincinnati's win over Notre Dame in South Bend, in which he had six catches for 144 yards. It was one of three 100-yard games Pierce had in 2021.
"I couldn't be more excited for Alec and his family," Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell said. "Alec is tough, intelligent and an incredible athlete. The Colts are getting a guy who has the potential to be a star in this league. He's an explosive player, and we weren't surprised when he tested off the charts at the combine. He's obviously a smart guy, earning an engineering degree and receiving First Team Academic All-America. He's got such a competitive streak that I tried to move him to linebacker when he was a freshman. We are glad he moved back to wide receiver. I'm excited to see him grow in Indianapolis."
Pierce was clocked at 4.41 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine earlier this year. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote of Pierce’s strengths:
"Tall, angular frame…swift strider, and accelerates quickly to stack corners vertically…accomplished prep high jumper and volleyball player with above-average high-pointing and leaping skills…tracks the football naturally downfield…the game appears to slow down for him at the catch point, allowing him to make graceful adjustments on the ball…gives his quarterback a large target thanks to his size and strong hands to finish over defensive backs…sharp footwork in his releases to slip past the jam…played extensively as a gunner on special teams his first two years (seven tackles), and coached experimented with him at linebacker as a freshman…made Bruce Feldman's annual Freak List and broke Cincinnati's skill-position record with a 675-pound deadlift…became fifth player in school history to earn CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American Honors …named a 2021 team captain…shows the same competitive fire as both a receiver and a blocker…ranks No. 9 in school history in receiving yards (1,851)."
Pierce played safety and wide receiver at Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn, Ill. – just outside of Chicago – and also played basketball, volleyball and ran track as a high schooler. Pierce comes from a family of athletes – his father played football and his mother played volleyball collegiately at Northwestern; his older brother, Justin, played college basketball at William & Mary and North Carolina, and his younger brother, Caden, is committed to play college basketball at Princeton.
The Colts traded down from No. 42 to No. 53 as part of a pick swap with the Minnesota Vikings earlier in the night.
View photos of Cincinnati WR Alec Pierce, selected in the second round by the Indianapolis Colts.
Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder, right, celebrates his touchdown with Alec Pierce during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Houston, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce carries the ball during practice for the Cotton Bowl NCAA football game, Monday, Dec. 27, 2021, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)
Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce (12) celebrates a touchdown against Memphis during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, in Cincinnati. (Photo by Gary Landers)
Cincinnati's Alec Pierce (12) catches the ball over East Carolina's Ja'Quan McMillian (21) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Raleigh, N.C., Friday, Nov. 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)
Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce (12) catches a pass for a touchdown during an NCAA college football game against SMU, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, in Cincinnati. Cincinnati won 48-14. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
Cincinnati's Alec Pierce (12) catches the ball over East Carolina's Ja'Quan McMillian (21) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Raleigh, N.C., Friday, Nov. 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)
Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce catches a pass for a touchdown during the first half of the team's NCAA college football game against SMU, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce (12) reacts after making a catch against Notre Dame safety Houston Griffith during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, in South Bend, Ind. Cincinnati won 24-13. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce (12) plays during the first half of the American Athletic Conference championship NCAA college football game against Houston Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce runs a route against Navy during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, in Annapolis, Md. Cincinnati won 27-20. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce (12) warms up during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Tulsa Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce runs a route against Navy during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, in Annapolis, Md. Cincinnati won 27-20. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce (12) makes a catch against Notre Dame safety Houston Griffith during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, in South Bend, Ind. Cincinnati won 24-13. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce (12) makes a catch against Temple safety Amir Tyler (3) during an NCAA college football game, Friday, Oct. 8, 2021, in Cincinnati. Cincinnati won 52-3. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce, center, makes a catch against Temple cornerback Cameron Ruiz, right, and linebacker Jordan Magee, left, during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Oct. 8, 2021, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
Cincinnati's Alec Pierce (12) makes a touchdown reception against Indiana's Tiawan Mullen (3) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, in Bloomington, Ind. Cincinnati won 38-24. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce (12) scores a touchdown against Georgia during the first half of the Peach Bowl NCAA college football game, Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce (12) is tackled by Miami (Ohio) defensive back Cedric Boswell (18) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce (12) catches a touchdown pass in front of Memphis defensive back John Broussard Jr. (9) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, in Cincinnati. (Photo by Gary Landers)
Cincinnati Bearcats Alec Pierce during an NCAA football game on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019 in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Tony Tribble)
Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce (12) celebrates a touchdown against Memphis during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, in Cincinnati. (Photo by Gary Landers)
Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce (12) catches a pass against Tulsa safety Brandon Johnson (8) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce (12) catches a pass during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Tulsa, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder, rear, celebrates a touchdown against Memphis with teammates Alec Pierce (12) and Cam Jones (18) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, in Cincinnati. (Photo by Gary Landers)
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