Bengals hold top-30 visit for UC standout WR Alec Pierce

After becoming the first group of five school to make the College Football Playoff, the University of Cincinnati football program is expected to see several of its former players get drafted into the NFL this month.

Wide receiver Alec Pierce will definitely become one of those drafted players. Before that happens, the Cincinnati Bengals wanted to get a closer look at him. The team hosted Pierce on a top-30 visit, per Pro Football Network insider Tony Pauline.

Expected to come off the board soon after the first round, Pierce has one of the more unique profiles amongst a deep receiver class. He averaged 17.5 yards per catch as a three-year starter for Cincinnati and ascended into their No. 1 receiver in 2021.

At the Scouting Combine, Pierce turned heads with a 4.41 40-yard dash after weighing in at 211 pounds. He’s got clear NFL size and athleticism to boot with impressive tape.

Pierce can help an offense immediately, but the Bengals simply do not need him right now. He’d be the fourth receiver in their current offense behind Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd. That said, he’d represent a solid contingency plan should the franchise allow Tee Higgins to enter free agency in 2024.

Would they entertain using their second-round pick to kickstart that path? Probably not, but Pierce is a quality prospect and the Bengals very well could add a receiver at some point during the NFL draft. All bets are off once the clock starts counting down.