Alec Pierce
WR Cincinnati 6-3 211 SR #12
GRADE: 83 OVR RANK: 68 POS RANK: 11
ARM LENGTH: 33”//HAND SIZE: 9”//40YD: 4.41 (93%)//10YD: 1.46 (100%)
VJ: 40 ½” (98%)//BJ: 10’09” (95%)//BP: ( %)//SS: 4.28 (53%)//3C: 7.13 (37%)
Projection: Early contributor who could develop into a starting X WR in a vertical offense within rookie contract. Early Round 3 ~ GrindingTheMocks.com
Ravens Fit: Looks like a Raven WR draft pick of a few years ago. Crazy speed and acceleration with size but with some limitations in how he separates at the top of his routes on anything other than go routes and comebacks. The Ravens appear to prefer more refined WRs now but Pierce is an option because he fits what the Ravens are looking to do on offense and he gives them something the other WRs in the room don’t have – a big catch radius. He has great hands, great body control and adjust to the football and he can go up and get it. He could take Miles Boykin’s vacated spot as the ST’eamer with big WR upside if developed.
Overall Fit 
4/5
Context
Plays as the X or Slot WR most of the time, has also played Z.
Before the Catch
He has a very effective release package against press Man coverage with a jam. If jammed at the line of scrimmage he can use his play strength, physicality, aggression and excellent technique in his hand usage to win early in the route. He has a variety of moves with his hands, including an effective wipe move and swim move, that are tight, well-timed and well-placed. He can release emphatically from the DB and put them in trail immediately. He is particularly good at using a side-step against quick jams to stay clean and release upfield. When not facing a jam he attacks leverage well but could mix up his single move with his speed release more effectively. DBs with good footwork themselves in soft press can match angles and stay in phase. He eats up the cushion in off-coverage extremely quickly due to his speed and acceleration. On deep routes he can win with his speed and acceleration. He can work off this to hard angle cuts on routes like deep curls and comebacks because of his consistent stem and how he sells the go route. DBs have to respect his speed and his deep ball ability and he takes good advantage of this.
He also shows good technique in this type of break, sinking his hips and dropping his weight onto his break step before snapping his head out of the break. His excellent posture keeps the DB guessing. Other breaks are less well refined. On speed cuts for quick outs he cheats the route and begins to slant outside before the break which lets the DB into the rep. On vertical cuts for posts and corners, it’s a similar story as he attacks with too much lean and gives away his intentions with the route. On square cuts for deep digs, he takes too long to decelerate from his high speed and while he is able to work open by selling the double move on this route, against better processing DBs it won’t work more than once. He could also use his play strength evident at the line of scrimmage and at the catch-point to better separate, DBs are able to get him held up in a physical battle at the break-point, if they can successfully play on the edge of a penalty. He accelerates out of his breaks. Processes coverage well and finds the soft spot as well as making important adjustments to his route to get open
The Catch and after the Catch
He has very good hands. He has good manual dexterity to adjust his hands to different types of ball thrown his way. He catches outside of his frame and has a big catch radius, he feels dominant as a catcher of the ball. He is very good catching the ball downfield, tracks the ball well and adjust his body to the ball in all situations. He will catch at full extension and can high point the ball. Wins YAC with speed, acceleration, some contact balance.
SUMMARY
Big and fast. Devastating off the LOS especially off a jam. Very good on go routes and comebacks, some technical deficiencies on other types of cut. Good body control and hands.
PRODUCTION
SR: 82 Tgts, 52 Recs, 873 Rec Yards (16.8 Ave), 8 Rec TDs SO: 59 Tgts, 37 Recs, 657 Rec yards (17.8 Ave), 2 Rec TDs
INJURY: Arthroscopic knee surgery (JR) missed 3 games
RAVENS FIT
Athleticism 5
Intelligence 3
Versatility 4
Grit 3
Scheme 4
