According to The MMQB Albert Breerthat Indianapolis Colts took a quick drive down I-74 to visit the Cincinnati Quarterback Desmond Rider and wide Alec Pierc among other highly acclaimed Bearcats prospects:
Source: The Colts made the short drive today to visit and train with Cincinnati QB Desmond Ridder and a number of Bearcats receivers in Ohio. Interesting as Indy was promoted in the second round.
The Colts’ first pick is 42nd overall.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 15, 2022
The Colts will pick with the 42nd overall pick, so it’s possible that Ridder, who is also a potential late first-round pick, could be available at this point if he slips a bit – as well as Pierce, who looks set to be just that will bypass area or early round 3.
Regarding Ridder, the 6’4″ tall, 215-pound senior quarterback completed 251 of 377 pass attempts (64.9%) for 3,334 yards, 30 touchdowns and 8 interceptions in 14 starts in 2021 – en route to the AAC- Offensive Player of the Year honors (for a consecutive season) and led the Bearcats to the 2022 College Football Playoffs.
A double threat at quarterback, Ridder is known for his arm strength, athleticism, and competitiveness, but sometimes struggles with his accuracy and ball placement:
Over time, Ridder’s selection would allow head coach Frank Reich to run his ideal offense with a run-heavy approach with All-Pro Jonathan Taylor, with RPOs, play-action and the occasional bootleg from the quarterback starting position — to add to that.
He could also be nursed behind veteran starting quarterback Matt Ryan for two seasons before fully taking the reins ahead of the 2024 NFL season, meaning he’d still have time to grow and develop as a passer — without right away into the fires to be thrown.
Another high-level prospect that should keep the Colts interested is Ridder’s favorite target Alec Pierce, who caught 52 receptions for 884 receiving yards (17.0 year average) and 8 touchdown receptions in 14 starts in 2021 — when he finished second became. Team All-AAC Honors.
At 6ft 3in, 211lbs and a 4.41 forty time, Pierce has the ideal combination of size and speed, playing as a tall, physical vertical wideout – with considerable toughness, but he needs to keep improving his distance running and isn’t t always separate as well as he tests.
Like Ridder, he’s another amazing Bearcats athlete:
He would provide an ideal “Z” wideout to widen the field on the other side of Michael Pittman Jr. and honestly keep opposing defenses from stacking the box on Taylor.
It makes sense why the Colts would take the time to take a closer look at Ridder and/or Pierce.
However, while Ridder will make most of the national headlines here, Pierce could actually be the sneakier play for the Colts – as he fills a much more immediate need and should be able to contribute as a potential WR2 launch from the start.