Former Tennessee Vols DE James Pearce, Jr. lands in perfect spot in ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper's latest mock draft
We're heading into the final home stretch of the NFL Draft, which will begin on Thursday, April 24 in Green Bay. By now, we've seen just about every conceivable draft pick outside of the top select few go in a number of different places in various mock drafts. That especially includes Tennessee defensive end James […]
We're heading into the final home stretch of the NFL Draft, which will begin on Thursday, April 24 in Green Bay. By now, we've seen just about every conceivable draft pick outside of the top select few go in a number of different places in various mock drafts.
That especially includes Tennessee defensive end James Pearce, Jr. Once considered a candidate for the top overall pick, Pearce has bounced around anywhere from the top half of the first round to all the way down to the second round in more recent mock drafts.
Mel Kiper's most recent mock draft has Pearce still in the first round, but just barely. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing, as he has Pearce being selected by the current Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Mel Kiper has Tennessee DE James Pearce, Jr. going to the Philadelphia Eagles with the 32nd pick.
Kiper had the following to say about Pearce:
The defending Super Bowl champs lost some key parts of their defense in free agency, including edge rusher Josh Sweat. Being able to get after the quarterback is important for Vic Fangio's defense, and there's a glaring void now on the edge. There are mixed opinions around the league on whether Pearce is a first-rounder, but he has the traits to develop into a speedy disruptor in the right system. He had 17.5 sacks over the past two seasons and ranked second in the nation in pressure rate last season (19.0%).
There are far worse places for the VFL to end up than in the City of Brotherly Love. The Eagles are at the pinnacle of the sport, and they do just so happen to have a vacancy in their front seven after OLB Josh Sweat left in free agency for the Arizona Cardinals.
The Eagles' defense has plenty coming back that could make life easier for Pearce there than in most other places. Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter at the best defensive tackle duo in the NFL by a mile. OLB Nolan Smith, Jr. had a solid 2024 sophomore season and should only continue to get better. The Eagles also signed veteran free agent OLBs Joshua Uche and Azeez Ojulari, who will give Philly some good depth at the position at worst.
Pearce would be in a situation where he wouldn't have to be the guy, but he could certainly contribute right away, at minimum, as a situational pass rusher while he worked to improve the rest of his game. And he would clearly have a strong look at getting a Super Bowl ring.
That would be a win-win scenario for the former Vol.
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