Getty WR Alec Pierce is expected to be a Day 2 pick in the 2022 NFL draft.
It’s no secret the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers need wide receivers, and both squads will likely address this need when the 2022 NFL draft kicks off on April 28.
Both teams lost their top wideouts this offseason, with Green Bay trading All-Pro Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders and the Bears electing not to re-sign receiver Allen Robinson. While the Bears don’t have a selection in the first round this year, the Packers have two (No. 22 and No. 28), getting one of those in the Adams trade. It has been 20 years since the Packers have drafted a wide receiver in Round 1 and that streak may continue according to ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler.
“Watch out for Green Bay, despite holding two first-round picks and needing to replace Davante Adams, potentially going a different direction and taking a Day 2 receiver,” Fowler wrote on April 27. While Fowler named Baylor’s Tyquan Thornton as a possibility, Tony Pauline of The Draft Network reported in his April 25 column that the Packers and Bears have both shown a good deal of interest in another projected second round selection: Cincinnati receiver Alec Pierce.
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Pauline: Bears & Packers ‘Have Shown a Lot of Interest’ in Pierce
The Bears don’t have a selection until No. 39 in Round 2, and they also hold the 48th overall pick. The Packers also have two second-round picks (No. 53 and No. 59) but the Bears will have made both of their selections by the time Green Bay is on the clock, so if they really want Pierce, they could beat the Pack to the punch. Pauline says there’s one other team who may want Pierce, too.
“Who are the candidates for Pierce in Round 2? The Bears pick 48th and have shown a lot of interest in the wideout, as have the Green Bay Packers at pick 53. Don’t discount the Indianapolis Colts with the 42nd selection,” he wrote.
Pauline didn’t mention Chicago’s 39th overall pick, which the team could use to snag Pierce if he’s someone it values highly. The Bears sent WRs coach Tyke Tolbert to Pierce’s Pro Day in March, and Pierce, who is originally from Glen Ellyn, Illinois, would be an ideal boundary ‘X’/slot target to replace A-Rob.
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Pierce’s Potential Is Off the Charts
Most draft experts and analysts agree that Pierce is a likely Day 2 pick. Pauline noted the young WR’s combine performance likely helped his draft stock.
“He tested incredibly well at the combine, timing 4.41 seconds in the 40 with an insanely fast 10-yard split of 1.46 seconds,” Pauline noted, adding: “Only two receivers, Skyy Moore (1.44) and Tyquan Thornton (1.41), had faster 10-yard splits at the combine. His vertical jump of 40.5 inches was tops for the receiver group in Indianapolis.”
The 6-foot-3, 208-pound Pierce finished his career in Cincinnati playing in 34 games, hauling in 106 passes for 1,851 yards (17.5 yards per catch) and 13 touchdowns. He had 52 catches for 884 yards (17.0 yards per catch) and eight scores in 14 games as a senior. He also had four drops on 82 targets last year, per PFF.
Pierce was also at the Bears’ local day in April, so he’s someone they’ve had their eye on for a while now. It won’t be long before we know if the talented young wideout lands in the Windy City.
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