Tennessee Vols edge rusher James Pearce lands with NFC South team in latest 2025 NFL mock draft from PFF
Tennessee Vols junior edge rusher James Pearce hasn't officially declared for the 2025 NFL Draft yet, but the expectation is that he soon will as he's expected to be a first round selection later this spring. Earlier this week, Pro Football Focus revealed their latest 2025 NFL mock draft and they have Pearce getting selected […]
Tennessee Vols junior edge rusher James Pearce hasn't officially declared for the 2025 NFL Draft yet, but the expectation is that he soon will as he's expected to be a first round selection later this spring.
Earlier this week, Pro Football Focus revealed their latest 2025 NFL mock draft and they have Pearce getting selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the No. 15 overall selection.
From PFF: The Falcons’ pass rush came alive during the second half of the season, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t consider selecting a pass-rusher in a pass-rusher-heavy draft. Pearce gives them some burst and bend they don’t have on their defensive line right now, and he plays a natural stand-up outside linebacker spot. Though undersized at around 240 pounds, he recorded pass-rush win rates above 20% in each of the past two years.
There was some talk before the 2024 season that Pearce could be in the mix at No. 1 overall. Pearce, however, will likely fall to the middle of the first round due to concerns about his ability to defend the run and be a three-down option.
"The only concern about Pearce is whether his size (243 pounds) is enough for teams to see him as a true three-down option," noted The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner this week. "If they do, don’t be surprised to see Pearce land closer to the top 10. His ability to win with speed off the edge is nearly unmatched in this class."
Pearce totaled 38 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks for the Vols in 2024. Notably, 5.5 of Pearce's sacks in 2024 came against SEC opponents.
