NFL.com draft analyst has a very uncommon landing spot for Tennessee Vols standout James Pearce, Jr. in his latest mock draft
Just about every NFL draft pundit has projected NFL franchises to have a healthy amount of respect for the Tennessee Volunteers' talented edge rusher James Pearce, Jr. when the 2025 NFL Draft comes in April. Well, with one exception. NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter put out a new mock draft this week, and he has […]
Just about every NFL draft pundit has projected NFL franchises to have a healthy amount of respect for the Tennessee Volunteers' talented edge rusher James Pearce, Jr. when the 2025 NFL Draft comes in April.
Well, with one exception.
NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter put out a new mock draft this week, and he has the ex-Vol going somewhere very uncommon for Pearce, Jr. in these projections: out of the first round.
And not just barely out, but well out. Reuter projected Pearce, Jr. to end up with the Arizona Cardinals at pick 47, smack dab in the middle of the second round.
Look, it's a pick that makes sense from a fit perspective. The Cardinals could use pass rushing help. They ranked in the middle of the league (T-13) with 41 sacks as a team. Adding sacks and pressure is something every team will be looking for, and particularly one that needs to generate more splash plays from their defense like the Cardinals do (T-19 in takeaways).
However, it doesn't seem reasonable for Pearce, Jr. to fall that far. His pressure rate was the highest in college football in 2024 among edge rushers. Pass rushing – his calling card – is still at a premium, and teams will pay for it.
In fact, Reuter's NFL.com colleague, Cynthia Frelund, has Pearce, Jr. going to Arizona in her latest mock draft, but going in the first round at pick 16, which seems like a far more likely scenario.
We'll see if Pearce, Jr. can make Reuter and others bigger believers when the NFL Combine gets underway on February 27 from Indianapolis.
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