ESPN confirms suspicion about Tennessee Vols edge rusher James Pearce's draft stock ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft
If you've closely followed mock drafts ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, you're probably confused about where Tennessee Vols edge rusher James Pearce could be selected. Pearce has been viewed as a first-round talent throughout the draft process, but concerns about his coachability have led to some draft analysts predicting that the former Vol could […]
If you've closely followed mock drafts ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, you're probably confused about where Tennessee Vols edge rusher James Pearce could be selected.
Pearce has been viewed as a first-round talent throughout the draft process, but concerns about his coachability have led to some draft analysts predicting that the former Vol could fall to the second or third round of the draft.
ESPN's Jordan Reid seemingly confirmed this week that no one has a clue where Pearce is going to end up getting drafted (Reid has Pearce going to the San Fransisco 49ers with the No. 43 overall selection).
"His draft stock is all over the place, with the scouts I've talked to having Pearce going off the board anywhere from the late teens to the late second round," wrote Reid.
Reid's comments line up with what a couple of anonymous NFL assistant coaches had to say to The Athletic this week about Pearce.
“That kid is a first-round talent, but the stuff you hear (about his maturity) scares me," said a defensive line coach to The Athletic.
“We don’t even talk about him,” added another defensive line coach. “How coachable is he?”
A linebackers coach, however, said that he thought Pearce was "good" in interviews.
“He was good in the interview,” said the linebackers coach. “He knows football and is plenty smart. And he’s got all the talent.”
Much of what you hear about players during the pre-draft process is nothing more than NFL front offices throwing stuff out there in an effort to manipulate where players will fall.
But when it comes to Pearce, it appears that no one is quite sure how to feel about the former Vol, despite his obvious elite on-field talent.
