NFL Draft Matchup: Cam Hart vs Alec Pierce

Breaking down the NFL Draft impact of the matchup between Cam Hart of Notre Dame and Alec Pierce of Cincinnati

An unlikely prospect matchup before the season, Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce remained an underrated member of the Bearcat passing attack, while Cam Hart was still getting acclimated to the defensive side of the ball after transitioning over to wide receiver prior to the 2020 season.

SWITCHING SIDES

Going back to his Good Counsel High School days in Maryland, Hart sat as a talented but raw athlete who had yet to find his preferred long term role. After spending his initial season on the offensive side of the ball in 2019, Hart made the full transition to cornerback the next offseason.

Of course that offseason was filled with nothing but uncertainty and difficulties, dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting Hart’s ability to get comfortable prior to the 2020 season. That gave Hart minimal ability to show off his physical gifts in his first season at cornerback, setting up as almost a redshirt year of sorts.

Fast forward to this season, Hart entered as a starter on the outside from the jump. It didn’t take long for Notre Dame fans to begin getting excited about #5. Early in the season, there was understandable rawness to coverage but he remained sticky down the field and showed up in a big way in run support. In the team’s biggest matchup to date against a then #18 ranked Wisconsin Badgers, Hart proceeded to put a breakout performance on tape, corralling two interceptions to lock down one side of the field.

The unteachables are easy to see with Hart. Boasting a long (listed at 6’2 1/2”, 205 pounds) and athletic frame, Hart has the look of a prototypical press man corner on the next level. He is still working to become more comfortable playing the football down the field but has already shown spurts of improvements in that area.

Athletically, Hart is solid across the board. Working vertically, he has more than enough speed and stride length to stay attached down the field. For a longer cornerback, you would expect quickness and short area explosiveness to give him some issue. Hart actually handles those types of situations relatively well for a player this long. He doesn’t give up a ton of instant separation, or easy completions. Those things you may expect from a former wide receiver, specifically movement skills and route recognition.

The physicality, however, is something that takes you a bit off guard. Hart plays with a nasty disposition. He works off blocks surprisingly well, showing outstanding effort and coming to balance well to make some impressive tackles on the perimeter. The progression has been something to see over the last couple weeks.

UNDER THE RADAR BEARCAT

Hart will match up with one of the more underrated wide receivers in the 2022 NFL Draft cycle in senior Alec Pierce. After leading Cincinnati in receiving during the 2019 season with 652 yards, Pierce continued to create big plays in 2020, averaging a healthy 18.5 yards per reception.

Listed at 6’3 1⁄8” and 208 pounds, Pierce boasts a long and athletic frame that will have NFL evaluators buzzing this draft season. He is also a gifted athlete, expected to test exceptionally well in the forty yard dash and other short area explosion drills. Pierce works primarily on the vertical third of the field, using his straight line speed and length to win down the football field.

In contested situations, he is able to elevate and extend to work through contact. That combination makes Pierce a tough assignment matched up outside the numbers. From a stylistic perspective, this meshing of styles lends itself well to a one on one matchup. This is length versus length, ball skills versus ball skills. For each player, this matchup means a little bit different.

For Pierce, this is his final campaign to entice NFL evaluators. He is a height-weight-speed dynamo who will garner attention just for his physical profile. Pierce has had some production up until this point but he is in need of a breakout game heading into a top ten matchup against the Irish. If he was working primarily against the Clarence Lewis and TaRiq Bracys of the world, there would be a clear advantage with his size and physicality.

WHAT THE MATCHUP MEANS

Against Hart, Pierce has a chance to work against next level size with an intriguing physical profile. If Pierce is able to assert himself in the matchup, it will go a long way to not only helping the Bearcats in this matchup, but provide a notable performance to buoy his NFL Draft prospects. As a senior, he’s running out of time to make his mark.

On the flip side, Cam Hart has just started his NFL Draft story. A first year starter, Hart is a newbie to the landscape. He began the year as a relative unknown but is quickly gaining steam. This top ten matchup offers a lot of eyes for Hart to capture. If evaluators didn’t know who he was previously, his performance against Wisconsin did a lot to wake them up.

With a strong performance working against an NFL caliber pass catcher like Alec Pierce, Hart could begin to ride amongst a talented 2022 cornerback group. Is he a cinch to enter the cycle if he continues his development? Not necessarily. If he has a couple other standout performances, an early declaration however is not out of question.

From a size and athleticism perspective, Hart is exactly what the NFL tends to clamor for. This game could serve as a stepping stone to put his tantalizing skill set on display once again.

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