2022 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Prospect: Dameon Pierce, RB Florida

Our NFL rookie profile series continues with this analysis of 2022 NFL Draft Prospect Dameon Pierce, RB from Florida. We will continue to provide you with these in-depth rookie profiles and a ton of other fantasy football rookie analysis right up through the NFL Draft. Stay tuned, and stay ahead of your league.

Every season, fantasy owners are chasing that late-round gem to bolster their fantasy rosters and to brag to their league-mates about having been early to the breakout. Players like James Robinson, Fred Jackson, Priest Holmes, and Arian Foster have fans hopeful they hit gold in the later rounds of their rookie drafts.

Dameon Pierce isn’t going to wow anyone on tape. But being a solid and consistent player who gets the available yards is always a worthwhile addition to any team.

THE STATS

Courtesy of Sports Reference.

Pierce was recruited to Florida in 2018 out of Bainbridge Georgia. He was ranked as the eighth RB on 247Sports in the nation after posting some massive numbers, including two seasons of over 2,000 rushing yards and 30+ touchdowns.

Courtesy of MaxPreps

You might quickly dismiss the collegiate stat lines that Pierce put together. He almost had more carries as a sophomore in high school than across his entire collegiate career! He only had nine collegiate games where he totaled more than ten carries.

However, this seems more to do with a poor Florida team than Pierce, a player who Bruce Feldman ranked 21st on his annual “College Football Freaks” list as he bench presses a strong 390 pounds and squats a staggering 705 pounds. That is more than enough muscle to move the pile and fall forward for extra yards.

Dameon Pierce: One badass mother f***** pic.twitter.com/8W1M42GMPn

— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) November 27, 2021

Pierce was never able to establish himself as the main workhorse back of the Gators offense, which might be a good thing as he doesn’t have the wear and tear of other backs.

That said, he was very effective when allowed to be. Pro Football Focus had his senior year graded out as one of the best seasons among RBs since 2014. I would like to think that Pierce’s lackluster stat line is more a failure on the Florida coaching staff than a lack of skill.

Dameon Pierce is primed to take a big CHOMP out of the NFL 🐊 pic.twitter.com/udNvyDj2Jo

— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) March 1, 2022

THE FILM

Watching Pierce, you aren’t going to see home run speed like Chris Johnson or electric moves like Alvin Kamara. You’ll see a physical runner who can make players miss and gain extra yards.

In his clips, you see a player with good hands catching poorly thrown passes and contested catches.

Pierce has that ‘grown man strength’ where he squares up defenders in the box and gets the extra yards. With his unique physical traits, he loads from his feet to his hips giving him power, and he has a quick twitch to maintain balance and drive.

The violent running teamed with fantastic contact balance make Pierce an interesting back for teams looking for a more physical runner to pair with a smaller back.

I see a bit of Marshawn Lynch in his physical style. He has a long way to go and likely won’t hit that upper threshold but he can carve out a solid career and in the right circumstance be productive.

THE MEASURABLES

Pierce does not wow at any of his particular measurements. That leg power shows in his 10-yard split but he did himself no favors at the NFL Scouting Combine.

For an athlete who can squat such an impressive load, none of that translated to his explosive events. A vertical of 34 1/2 inches and broad jump of 119 inches barely nudged him into the low 50th percentile for both events.

He has the physical look of a starting RB in the NFL, coming in at 5-10 and 218 pounds. Having never carried a huge workload, there should be plenty of spring in his legs.

DYNASTY VALUE

Per the most recent DLF Rookie ADP, Pierce comes in at RB13. His landing spot will play an important role in how we should approach his long-term value. If he can land behind an older back on a team with a strong offensive line there is a good chance that Pierce could come in hot if injuries allow the door to open.

Pierce would excel on a team that utilizes its run game as an extension of the passing attack. Teams like Kansas City or Tampa Bay would work – where Pierce might not have to face loaded boxes but could churn out consistent yardage.

CONCLUSION

Running backs like Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker III are getting all of the attention, and that is how it should be. But it is hitting on late-round gems who you can add as trade pieces for big deals or who can be consistent flex options that are what help you solidify your fantasy team.

Pierce could be that next sneaky running back for fantasy owners to draft late and be the feather in their cap as they hit on the next big thing early.