2022 NFL Draft: Ranking the Commanders’ best WR options on Day 2

3. Alec Piere, Cincinnati

Ranking top 20 in deep catches and contested catches last season, a sleeper for me in the 2022 NFL Draft has to be Cincinnati’s Alec Pierce. Pierce is one of the cleanest route runners in this class and can win often at the next level with his smooth route running ability in and out of his breaks despite not having excellent speed.

One thing that stood out to me when watching Pierce is his ability to go over the middle and catch the football. His ball skills stand out here, and he really looks like your prototypical big wideout that can eat contact with ease and come down with the football in the heart of coverage.

He may not have the largest route tree with 63% of his routes being slant’s, go’s and post’s last season, but he wins often due to using his size, suddenness and sure hands at the second and third level.

At 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds, Washington’s offense could use Pierce’s size and ball skills. For a quarterback in Carson Wentz who has succeeded when throwing to bigger targets — Alshon Jeffrey and Michigan Pittman Jr. most recently — adding Pierce not only benefits your new QB, but adds a possession threat that’s evaded the roster since Pierre Garcon.