A simple stat shows former Tennessee Vols standout James Pearce, Jr. continuing dominant trend from college days early in his professional career
The VFL is already having an impact on the field in Atlanta
Former Tennessee Vols edge rusher James Pearce, Jr. was once considered to be a candidate to become the #1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. That didn’t ultimately happen, as Pearce was tabbed late in the first round by the Atlanta Falcons with the 25th overall pick, due in part to vague character questions that had supposedly come out during the pre-draft process.
Through two preseason games, Pearce has shown that some teams could ultimately end up regretting not pulling the trigger on him when they could have. Through two weeks of preseason action, Pearce has 7 pressures, a pressure rate of 17.5%, and a pass rush win rate of 21.1% according to Pro Football Focus, all of which are excellent at the NFL level.
Of course, it’s impossible to fully measure a player early on during the preseason, as there are mixes of first, second, and sometimes third stringers on the field at any given time due to injury and roster tryout reasons. So, the tale will better be told once Pearce is on the field against a full slate of starting NFL talent.
But Pearce’s calling card at Tennessee was his consistent and dominant pressure rate that topped all college pass rushers over the last two years. He posted 20+% pressure rate in each of the last two season at Tennessee, the only edge rusher to accomplish that feat. As such, a 17.5% pressure rate to start shouldn’t be a big surprise to anyone who was paying attention.
How Pearce was passed on by some teams is still a mystery, but if early signs are any indication, Pearce could be poised to potentially leave them with regret starting this season.
