Tampa Bay Buccaneers land impact SEC edge rusher in 2025 mock draft
There's no question which side of the ball the Tampa Bay Buccaneers desperately need to address in the 2025 offseason after a premature playoff exit, and it's the side that Todd Bowles is in charge of. The Bucs' defense has its clear holes, and chief among them are defending opposing passing attacks. That can be […]
There's no question which side of the ball the Tampa Bay Buccaneers desperately need to address in the 2025 offseason after a premature playoff exit, and it's the side that Todd Bowles is in charge of.
The Bucs' defense has its clear holes, and chief among them are defending opposing passing attacks. That can be done on two fronts: on the defensive front and in the secondary.
A to Z Sports draft analyst Tyler Forness has the Bucs doing that by addressing the former in his latest mock draft, selecting Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce, Jr. with the 19th overall pick.
Forness had this to say about Pearce:
The pass rush wasn't there for the Buccaneers, and it's crucial for Todd Bowles' defense that they get home. Pearce is a hyper-athlete at edge rusher who fits what Bowles likes in the position. – Tyler Forness, A to Z Sports
Pearce is an interesting player. He's one who many projected coming into the season as perhaps the top overall player taken in April's draft. However, many mock drafts have him in the teens – and even close to the twenties as is the case here.
Why the drop? It's honestly a little bit tough to figure out, as Pearce's game didn't drop off in 2024 even if his stats weren't as flashy as they were in 2023. Pearce totaled 10 sacks and 15 tackles for loss in 2023 compared to 7.5 and 13 in 2024. However, Pearce's excellent pressure rate of 21.1% actually increased slightly in 2024 up to 21.4%, one of the best among his edge rushing peers in college football.
Pearce will need to work on improving his run defense at the next level – something he did improve per PFF grade from 2023 (67.7) to 2024 (84.2), to be fair – in order to be an every down player in the NFL. However, he has the length frame, athleticism, and burst to be molded into an impact player off the edge.
Paired with Yaya Diaby, the Bucs could have a terrific pair of formidable young pass rushers for years to come. That's certainly something that could help turn around a struggling pass defense in the near future.
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