Tennessee Vols edge rusher James Pearce sends strong message to teams that are considering him in the 2025 NFL Draft
Over the last several weeks, there have been some reports about potential "character concerns" with former Tennessee Vols edge rusher James Pearce. Pearce is viewed as a first round talent in the 2025 NFL Draft, but the character concerns could cause the Charlotte, NC native to slip to the second round. The rumblings about Pearce's […]
Over the last several weeks, there have been some reports about potential "character concerns" with former Tennessee Vols edge rusher James Pearce.
Pearce is viewed as a first round talent in the 2025 NFL Draft, but the character concerns could cause the Charlotte, NC native to slip to the second round.
The rumblings about Pearce's character are a bit of a surprise to folks who followed his career closely at Tennessee. Pearce was fairly quiet during his time at Tennessee and never generated headlines for the wrong reasons (outside of an arrest for driving with a suspended license…the charges were dismissed a couple of weeks later).
On Friday, Pearce joined the NFL Network for a brief interview and he had a message for NFL teams that are considering selecting him in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Pearce didn't directly address the character concerns, but he made sure to point out that he's a "good teammate" and a "great person".
"They're getting a great pass rusher, a great run defender," said Pearce when asked what teams can expect from him in the NFL. "A great overall defensive player. A dog on the defensive side."
"First of all, I'm just a great person, a great teammate, a great ballplayer" added Pearce when asked what he wants NFL teams to know about him. "And then they're getting everything they need — a dominant edge, a dominant player."
VolQuest's Austin Price, a longtime Tennessee insider, commented on the character concerns surrounding Pearce earlier this month during an appearance on 104.5 The Zone's Ramon, Kayla, and Will.
"I think a lot of this is posturing," said Price of the rumors surrounding Pearce. "I think some teams want James Pearce to fall (in the draft). If he's falling to the third round, somebody is gonna look like a fool. James Pearce has got limitless talent. Now, was James Pearce a chore sometimes? Sure, I mean, but they all are…none of these kids are perfect.
"I thought James grew a lot. He matured a lot. James is much smarter than people realize. And again, when you go back, Jauan Jennings was a handful when he was here and he's doing just fine. Same thing with Shaun Ellis back in the 90s, or Raynoch Thompson. James Pearce, whoever drafts him, is going to get a steal — especially if they get him late in round one [or] early in round two. If he falls to the third round, that would be a travesty. Whoever's going to get him is going to get an angry, motivated kid. James Pearce is a really good football player…..he's still maturing, but James Pearce, again, I think grew a lot during his time [at Tennessee]."
It's not unusual for NFL teams to try to manipulate the draft process via the spread of unsubstantiated rumors. That certainly could be the case when it comes to Pearce and these out-of-nowhere "character concerns".
