Tennessee Vols edge rusher James Pearce lands in great situation in latest NFL mock draft from The Athletic
Tennessee Vols junior edge rusher James Pearce is expected to be a first round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. Some early mock drafts have Pearce going as high as No. 1 overall. Other mock drafts, however, aren't quite as certain that Pearce will be a top five pick. The latest mock draft from The […]
Tennessee Vols junior edge rusher James Pearce is expected to be a first round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Some early mock drafts have Pearce going as high as No. 1 overall. Other mock drafts, however, aren't quite as certain that Pearce will be a top five pick.
The latest mock draft from The Athletic, in fact, has Pearce slipping all the way to No. 17 in the 2025 NFL Draft. They have the Cincinnati Bengals selecting Pearce.
Concern about Pearce's ability to defend the run is the biggest reason why The Athletic has the talented edger rusher falling to the middle of the first round.
From The Athletic: This is probably the absolute bottom of Pearce’s range. Pearce has, by far, been more productive than Williams or Carter, but that pair is just different, physically. Pearce (6-5, 245) is thinner and can feel light when defending the run.
I'm sure Pearce is hoping to be a top five pick, but there are advantages to slipping in the first round. Landing with the Bengals would mean that Pearce is instantly on a contending team, instead of a team that might be years away from competing for a championship.
It's still a bit early for mock drafts — we don't even know where teams will be selecting yet — but it certainly appears that Pearce is essentially locked in as a first round pick.
