3 players the Packers should target on day 2 of the NFL Draft
By Lucas Schuh
Green Bay Packers target no. 2: Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati
While the Packers did lose Davante Adams to the Raiders, and they do have a poor receiving group, one other player they lost was Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
It took some time for MVS to develop into a decent player, but last year he found his groove somewhat as he turned into the Packers’ premier deep threat with his length and great speed.
Now with him gone, the Packers have lost their lengthy deep threat, and now they could add one in Alec Pierce.
Pierce is pretty similar to MVS with his length and speed. At the Combine, Pierce came in at 6’3″, 211 pounds, but most impressively he ran a 4.41 40-yard dash and had a 41-inch vertical jump with a 10’9″ broad jump. Just flat out fast and explosive.
In terms of what shows up on the field, Pierce is quick. Pierce has some serious speed coming off the line of scrimmage, and if you aren’t quick enough, he can stack you in a hurry and has serious pull-away speed.
Pierce also uses his length to his advantage as he has shown the ability to make some great plays at the catch point.
While Pierce does have some serious athletic traits that the Packers will love, there are some concerns in his game. While Pierce did improve his route running ability in his final year at Cinncinati, there is still a lot of work to do in terms of route running.
While there is a lot of work to do, there might now be a lot of room to grow as he didn’t run that good of a three-cone as he ran a 7.11. While Pierce does have more pounds on him than Pickens, he is more affected by contact than Pickens is.
In terms of fit, Pierce could be an outside receiver for the Packers, and one that they would love with his willingness to block in the run game. Pierce could end up being grabbed by the Packers in the 3rd round of the draft.