Recent mock draft projects Tennessee Vols OLB James Pearce, Jr. to land in a great spot that's not too far from Knoxville
Tennessee Vols standout edge rusher James Pearce, Jr. should be on many teams' radars in the first round of April's NFL Draft. According to one analyst, he could be an option for an AFC contender not all that terribly far away from where Pearce played his college ball. A to Z Sports' AJ Schulte has […]
Tennessee Vols standout edge rusher James Pearce, Jr. should be on many teams' radars in the first round of April's NFL Draft. According to one analyst, he could be an option for an AFC contender not all that terribly far away from where Pearce played his college ball.
A to Z Sports' AJ Schulte has Pearce going to the Cincinnati Bengals with the 17th pick in his most recent mock draft.
Here's what Schulte had to say about Pearce:
Watching the Bengals' pass rush this season has been pretty disappointing. It's entirely been driven by Trey Hendrickson, as high draft picks Myles Murphy and Joseph Ossai haven't panned out. To make matters worse, Hendrickson has just one year left on his deal. If he leaves and the Bengals haven't fixed it by then, it could get ugly.
James Pearce, Jr. has elite quickness and length and pairs them with a good array of pass-rush moves to make him a disruptive pass rusher. His ability on run downs is a tough question to navigate, but it's hard to deny his gifts as a rusher.
First, that would be a good destination for Pearce for the purposes of being able to help elevate a contender to the next level in 2025. Cincinnati's offense is still one of the best in the NFL, with Joe Burrow having a huge bounce back season on the way to Pro Bowl honors.
Now, the Bengals have to find solutions on the defensive side of the ball, where they struggled in 2024 such that they parted ways with their veteran defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, one of the more respected DC's in the league. In fact, it appears the problems have been more with the "Jimmies and Joes" than the "Xs and Os".
But even with that said, Pearce would have help on the defensive line in First Team All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, who led the NFL in sacks in 2024 by a wide margin with 17.5. That would be a perfect player for a rookie to learn from, not to mention someone who would absorb a lot of attention from opposing offenses and thus offer more opportunities for Pearce.
If Pearce's name starts to slide towards the middle of the first round on draft night, don't be surprised if he ends up heading about three and a half hours north once it's all said and done.
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