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In what wound up being a pretty busy offseason for the Indianapolis Colts, there were several moves made between free agency, trades and the 2022 NFL draft that should have fans excited for the upcoming season.
The Colts traded away their 2021 starting quarterback while trading for their new starting quarterback. They made some big deals in free agency and moved around the draft board to grab four enticing selections on Day 2 of the offseason’s biggest weekend.
But when it comes to the most exciting move made this offseason, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay had one move in mind for the Colts:
Drafting wide receiver Alec Pierce.
The Indianapolis Colts rushing attack emerged as one of the league’s most fearsome behind Jonathan Taylor’s breakout season in 2021. The club has been using the 2022 offseason to better round out the rest of the offense, notably bolstering the passing attack after the Carson Wentz-led unit sputtered out down the stretch.
With Wentz now in Washington and Matt Ryan the new Indianapolis starting quarterback, the team is in a much better place than last year. It already has an up-and-coming wideout in Michael Pittman Jr. and may have found him a perfect complement by selecting Alec Pierce in the second round.
Pierce gives the Colts another big-bodied wideout, one who ran a 4.41 40-yard dash at the combine. He showed off his leaping ability with a 40.5-inch vertical jump and projects to play both a deep threat and possession role right out of the gate in Indianapolis.
The Cincinnati product has the frame and catch radius to get an edge on contested balls, but he’s also adept at finding soft spots to make easy grabs. He should draw plenty of targets right away and will only see more if he can improve his release and route-running capabilities.
With Pittman drawing plenty of defensive attention and the opposition’s top cornerback, Pierce should rack up plenty of catches and scores as a mismatch-creating weapon in this offense.
There is no doubt this move comes with plenty of upside. Pierce will be walking into a wide receiver room with the chance to play right away as the complement to Michael Pittman Jr., who is coming off of a breakout campaign in 2021.
The Cincinnati product has an impressive blend of size and speed with the ability to make plays down the field. The addition of Reggie Wayne as the wide receivers coach should help Pierce’s development as a route runner.
Pierce should have a role right away and with Matt Ryan at the helm starting in 2022, we should expect a solid line for the rookie at the end of his first season.
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