Wide receiver Alec Pierce is back with the Indianapolis Colts for his second season in the NFL and he has a noticeably different shape from his rookie year.
Alec Pierce is ready to attack year two in the NFL and he’s expected to take a big leap for the Indianapolis Colts. With Parris Campbell now with the New York Giants, Pierce is expected to step into the WR2 role after a promising rookie season as the team’s WR3.
With Pierce back on the field for the Colts in OTAs, reporters quickly noticed that the young wide receiver had a much different frame than he did in his rookie season. Kent Sterling reported that “Alec Pierce has been in the weight room… and he looks like a guy.” Jake Arthur of Sports Illustrated echoed these sentiments saying:
"Second-year wide receiver Alec Pierce appears to have added some bulk to his frame. He’s yet to speak to media recently to be asked but he is noticeably bigger than last year when he was quite narrow."Jake Arthur
Colts receiver Alec Pierce has added muscle during the offseason
When Pierce entered the NFL as a rookie, he measured in at 6-foot-3, 211 pounds. However, despite having a lanky frame, Pierce was a physical receiver, in college and during his rookie season. He consistently made contested catches and went up over defenders to snag the ball for big gains.
Alec Pierce finished his first season with the Colts with 41 receptions for 593 yards and two touchdowns. His 14.5 yards per reception were the most for all of Indy’s receivers with more than three catches. All of those numbers should go up during the 2023 season for Pierce.
Pierce now has experience in the NFL, so he should naturally make a second-year leap. Additionally, he has a young quarterback that he can thrive with, and an offensive-minded head coach that wants to get the ball down the field. Add in the fact that Pierce has seemingly attacked the offseason, and Alec Pierce seems like a great candidate to have a breakout year in 2023.