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It’s the time of year to make bold predictions for the upcoming NFL season. NFL writer Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report has a very bold prediction for Indianapolis Colts rookie wide receiver Alec Pierce.
Moton included among the nine bold 2022 NFL season predictions he made on July 13 that Pierce would win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
“At 6’3″, 211 pounds with 4.41 speed, Pierce has the physical tools to make a strong statement right out of college,” Moton wrote. “He’ll play with an accurate passer in Ryan, who’s completed at least 65 percent of his passes in each of the last four seasons and thrown for at least 3,900 yards each year since 2011.
“Even though the Colts have fielded a run-heavy offense with running back Jonathan Taylor over the last two seasons, Pierce should see plenty of targets in an aerial attack that only features one reliable pass-catcher in Michael Pittman Jr.”
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Pierce Early Candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year?
While it’s bold to argue a second-round wide receiver will win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, Pierce enters training camp with some pretty high expectations.
NFL writer Mike Clay of ESPN projected Pierce to finish fifth among rookie wide receivers in receiving yards with 746. Clay predicted only rookies Drake London, Treylon Burks, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave would have more.
“Second-rounder Pierce is a bit of a surprise on this list, but even in a run-heavy offense, he has a clear path to a big workload opposite Michael Pittman Jr,” wrote Clay.
Pierce has a path to “a big workload” because the Colts don’t have a lot of experience at wide receiver. Indianapolis has zero receivers older than 25, and only one wideout on the team’s roster has ever recorded more than 400 yards in a single NFL season.
But head coach Frank Reich spoke about the Colts wide receivers with confidence when talking to reporters on June 1. He was also complimentary of Pierce.
“He’s a very smart guy,” Reich said. “He’s really learned the offense quickly. He’s done a good job.
“He’s going to have to compete for every snap. It’s a very competitive group. But we’re definitely pushing him.”
Clearly, the high expectations for Pierce aren’t just coming from the media.
Advantages Pierce Will Have in Offensive Rookie of the Year Race
Even with a path to a lot of playing time, Pierce is still a bold choice for rookie of the year. A wide receiver has won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award just three times in the last 18 seasons, and all three of those wideouts were first-round picks.
But if there’s any year where a second-round wide receiver has a chance at the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, it could be 2022.
“The 2022 rookie class doesn’t feature a quarterback who has a clear pathway to start in Week 1 or a star running back, which opens up the possibility for an unlikely candidate to win Offensive Rookie of the Year,” wrote Moton.
The 2022 NFL Draft saw 11 wide receivers selected before Pierce, but Moton argued those players will face more pressure to produce. Moton also picked the Colts rookie as an award winner in part because of his quarterback.
“As first-round picks, Drake London, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jahan Dotson and Treylon Burks may garner a lot of attention, but one can argue Indianapolis Colts rookie Alec Pierce has a better quarterback situation with Matt Ryan than any of the Day 1 wideouts,” he wrote. “As for Jameson Williams, he may need a few weeks to get back to full speed while on the mend from a torn ACL.”
Pierce posted 52 catches, 884 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns as a senior at Cincinnati last season. He will likely have to be in at least that range statistically to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Last season, Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase became the first wideout to win Offensive Rookie of the Year since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2014. Chase had 81 receptions, 1,455 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.
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