CBS Sports analyst's draft ranking of Tennessee Vols edge rusher James Pearce raises some eyebrows
Tennessee Vols edge rusher James Pearce's NFL draft stock has been all over the place this winter/spring. There are some folks who believe that Pearce should be selected in the first round, while others think the former Tennessee pass rusher could fall to the second or third round due to concerns about his coachability. The […]
Tennessee Vols edge rusher James Pearce's NFL draft stock has been all over the place this winter/spring.
There are some folks who believe that Pearce should be selected in the first round, while others think the former Tennessee pass rusher could fall to the second or third round due to concerns about his coachability.
The general consensus ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft (which gets underway on Thursday night) is that Pearce will be selected near the end of the first round.
CBS Sports analyst Chris Trapasso, however, thinks Pearce should be selected much higher in the draft.
Trapasso, in fact, has Pearce rated as the No. 1 overall player in the 2025 NFL Draft.
"Pearce finishes as my top prospect in the 2025 class for a litany of reasons," wrote Trapssao this week. "He has a unique, towering frame with room to add 10 to 15 pounds and possesses all the attributes to be a regularly disruptive pass-rusher in the NFL."
Pearce is an athletic freak who was successful against elite competition in the SEC. I know there are some concerns about his coachability — though I'm not sure why those concerns exist (Vols head coach Josh Heupel has vouched for Pearce) — but Pearce is undoubtedly the type of talent that can make an instant impact in the NFL.
If Pearce falls to the end of the first round, it means that a Super Bowl contender will likely be getting one of the biggest steals in the draft.
