Alec Pierce Among Top 10 Rookies Despite Blowout Loss

Indianapolis Colts rookie-wide receiver Alec Pierce is looking more and more like a steal in the second round.

When a season has gone off the rails, looking for bright spots in young players can be a ray of light for fans. Indianapolis Colts rookie-wide receiver Alec Pierce has been such a player in his first year out of Cincinnati.

The Colts took the physically-gifted receiver with the 53rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft after posting over 800 yards and eight touchdowns his final year with the Bearcats.

He had a terrific showing at the NFL Combine, and after a slow start, he has become a trusted member of the Colts receiving corps... and should probably garner more targets.

Pierce was graded as the No. 7 rookie in the NFL by Pro Football Focus (PFF) after his good showing in a blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. 

Pierce continues to be a big-play threat for the Colts. The second-rounder caught four of his eight targets for 86 yards and a score against the Cowboys on Sunday night. He’s been a tad feast-or-famine this season but looks like a perfect complementary deep threat. -- Michael Renner, PFF

Pierce has started the last two games, but he was shutout on just two targets in a 27-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was the third time in the previous month that Pierce had seen limited action. 

He had just four catches for 51 yards in the four games spanning Weeks 9 through 12 entering the Cowboys game.

On the season, Pierce has 32 receptions for 510 yards and two touchdowns, speaking to the "feast or famine" nature of Pierce's contributions. His 510 yards ranks him fifth among rookie receivers after being the 12th receiver taken in the 2023 NFL Draft.

When looking at positives to build on for the 2023 season, Pierce looks like a hit in the second round and an excellent compliment to WR1 Michael Pittman.