Dameon Pierce | Florida 5’10” 218 lbs. | 02/19/2000 (Age 22)
Dameon Pierce was drafted 107th overall by the Houston Texans, becoming the seventh running back and 107th overall player in the 2022 NFL Draft.
COLLEGE PRODUCTION
| Year | Games Played | Attempts | Yards | Yards/Attempt | TDs |
| 2018 (FR) | 11 | 69 | 424 | 6.1 | 2 |
| 2019 (SO) | 12 | 54 | 305 | 5.6 | 4 |
| 2020 (JR) | 12 | 106 | 503 | 4.7 | 4 |
| 2021 (SR) | 13 | 100 | 574 | 5.7 | 13 |
During his first two seasons with the Gators, he served as a steady contributor playing behind Lamical Perine. On just 123 rushing attempts, Pierce produced 729 yards (5.9 yards per attempt) and six touchdowns. He saw an increased role in 2020, as he led the team in rushing with 503 yards on the ground and four touchdowns. He only received one start during his final season, but he led the team in rushing once again, as he produced 574 rushing yards and a whopping 13 rushing scores. He was heavily involved as a pass-catcher out of the backfield as well by hauling in 19 passes for 216 yards and three more scores.
STRENGTHS
Violent runner, who is hard to knock off his feet. Elite weight-room power and doesn’t hesitate when running through the line of scrimmage. Great contact balance with a twitchy burst. Runs low to the ground. Shows soft hands as a receiver out of the backfield, and he was highly productive in his limited role. Averaged a touchdown in every seven touches during the 2021 season.
WEAKNESSES
Doesn’t display great speed. Needs to find an extra step when making downfield cuts. Didn’t receive a heavy workload during collegiate career. Only nine career games with 10 or more rushing attempts. Struggles to pick up blitz packages as a pass-blocker.
ATHLETIC TESTING
At the NFL combine, Pierce measured in at 5’10” and 218 lbs. Which equates to a BMI of 31.3. He ran a modest 4.59 40-yard dash (50th percentile), equating to a 100.9-speed score (68th percentile). Pierce also displayed a 118.2 burst score (48th percentile), an agility score of 11.99 (5th percentile), and a college dominator of 21.7 percent (75th).
Pierce lacks great speed for his position, but he makes up for it with his elite strength. He posted 21 reps on the bench press, which is the third-most by any running back who participated at the combine. To put things in perspective, highly talented OG Kenyon Green only repped out 20. Pierce is nicknamed “Iron Man” for a reason.
DRAFT ANALYSIS
Rapid Reaction to Draft Capital: Excellent
Rapid Reaction to Landing Spot: Excellent
Pierce was selected with the 107th-overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.
Lovie Smith and the Texans get another running back to join Marlon Mack, Rex Burkhead, Dare Ogunbowale, and Royce Freeman in a crowded but opportunist backfield.
FANTASY INSIGHTS
Pierce has a shot at competing for the RB1 spot for this team. He may start the season as an RB2/3, but there isn’t a clear-cut lead back for this team. He’s worth targeting in the middle rounds in both rookie and dynasty start-up leagues. He’s also a candidate to see some volume as a pass-catcher out of this backfield as well. It may take him a season to get rolling, but his red zone volume should be on notice early on in his career.
Thank you for tuning in to DFF’s 2022 NFL Draft Coverage! Stay tuned as we break down every fantasy-relevant pick during the draft. Please consider becoming our yearly DFF subscription member so we can continue to deliver top-notch analysis and fantasy breakdowns. Our yearly subscription will save you $40 and lead you to fantasy championships. You can also follow me @dirrim23 where I love talking about all things fantasy football! #DFFArmy #FantasyFootball #AlwaysBeBuilding #NFL #NFLDraft #NFLTransactions #NFLTrades #AlwaysBeBuilding
