The NFL draft is seven rounds long. While that may seem like a simple statement, most tend to focus on the first round and very little else. It is no wonder the movie “Draft Day” acted as if only that round mattered, some fans and media act as such.
The importance of that round is significant, obviously, but not the only way for a team to improve or address their needs.
For the Cleveland Browns, the focus has been on the 13th pick and the wide receiver position. While the defensive line could also be the pick, many have honed in on getting weapons for Kevin Stefanski and Baker Mayfield in the passing game in the first round.
One player who had a very good NFL combine and could give Cleveland a day two option in the NFL draft is Cincinnati receiver Alec Pierce.
Pierce measured in at 6’3″ and 211 pounds in Indianapolis. At that size, he ran a 4.33 40-yard dash with a 40.5″ vertical and 10’9″ broad jump. His athletic testing score put him in the top 100 over receivers since 1987:
Alec Pierce is a WR prospect in the 2022 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.62 RAS at the Combine out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 97 out of 2557 WR from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/cQXuHGwMZp #RAS via @Mathbomb pic.twitter.com/ntJuhMBDKc
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 4, 2022
Pierce has work to do as a route runner but has shown improvement during his time with the Bearcats. His agility scores are a sign of one possible issue with some of his routes but his size could explain some of that compared to other smaller receivers.
Pierce had his best season in 2021 with 52 catches for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. He led Cincinnati receivers with 22 more catches, 360 more yards and three more touchdowns than the next best on his team.
The Draft Network has Pierce as a second-round pick but given the talent at the position in this year’s draft, he could even slip to the third. If the Browns go with a defensive lineman with the 13th pick or want to double up at receiver, Pierce could be a great fit for the team.