Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr. 2025 NFL Draft Profile
James Pearce Jr., Edge Defender Height & Weight: 6'5", 245 poundsAge: 21School: Tennessee Volunteers SeasonPass Rush PressuresSacksTotal Tackles20226242023521320202455829Career Totals1132353 Athletic Testing Hand Size: 10 inchesArm Length: 32 6/8 inchesForty-Yard Dash: 4.47 secondsVertical Leap: 31 inchesBroad Jump: 10 feet 3 inches20-Yard Shuttle: N/A3-Cone: N/A Pros: Truly Elite Pass Rush Skill SetThere are just three power conference edge […]
James Pearce Jr., Edge Defender
Height & Weight: 6'5", 245 pounds
Age: 21
School: Tennessee Volunteers
| Season | Pass Rush Pressures | Sacks | Total Tackles |
|---|---|---|---|
2022 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
2023 | 52 | 13 | 20 |
2024 | 55 | 8 | 29 |
Career Totals | 113 | 23 | 53 |
Athletic Testing
Hand Size: 10 inches
Arm Length: 32 6/8 inches
Forty-Yard Dash: 4.47 seconds
Vertical Leap: 31 inches
Broad Jump: 10 feet 3 inches
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
3-Cone: N/A
Pros:
- Truly Elite Pass Rush Skill Set
There are just three power conference edge defenders with pressure and pass rush win rates over 20%. James Pearce Jr. is one of them. And he's done it two seasons in a row now. He uses a variety of techniques to help him win with both strength and finesse. - Length and Athletic Range
Pearce has a lean, lanky frame that can initially come off as a detriment against the run, but what it often does is allow him to keep lead blockers at bay, helping him shed contact. He's athletic enough to drop into coverage too, using all of his length to blanket running backs and receivers on underneath targets. He's actually allowing just 7.8 yards per reception in coverage and a 54.2 passer rating throughout his career. - Incredible Propensity to Generate Tackles For Loss
It's not just in pass rush situations. Pearce uses his flexibility and understanding of leverage to shake himself free to tackle running backs in the backfield or at the line of scrimmage at an extremely high rate compared to his total tackles. You can get a preview of all the skills that make Pearce special in NFL Draft Files' post below.
Cons
- Consistent Play Strength
Pearce has been improving throughout his career when it comes to his strength, but if he does lose the initial contact engagement he can get stuck. This comes up most often when setting the edge or attempting to hold his position in the run game. Most of the time he wins, but every so often he'll lose due to what seems to be the lack of truly elite play strength. - Missed Tackles in Run Game
Pearce's aggressiveness is a great thing, but he has struggled missing tackles throughout his career due to his play speed at times. He'll overshoot run gaps, rely too much on his arms to tackle, and just flat out whiff attempting to dive back into the fray towards a running back. This might be the biggest gripe with him in draft season, but he's so good at most everything else. - Every Down High Motor Questions
Some have questioned Pearce's motor down to down because of his typically lower snap counts, but there's not much evidence to this when he's actually on the field. He's tallied at least a half dozen pressures in four games this season already. Low motor players typically can't do that.
Player Evaluation:
James Pearce Jr. is the best true pass rusher in the 2025 NFL Draft class. No other prospect in this class has back to back years with pass rush pressure rates over 20%. His flexibility, burst, and finish make him one of the easiest first round projections in the nation.
He should be a pass rush specialist immediately who offers sufficient size and the frame to build into an even-front defensive end if necessary, but also can stand up as an edge defender in odd-front schemes. Pearce needs to add a little strength, but should be a slam dunk pick in the early first round of the draft.
Player Comparison:
Brian Burns
Just like Burns, Pearce will enter the league with a sleek, long frame, boasting elite speed and burst. And again, like Burns he'll need to level up his play strength, learning to play near every down to reach his ceiling, but the potential is "franchise player".
A to Z Rankings:
A to Z Big Board Ranking: 15
A to Z Draft Grade: 9.01 (out of 10)
Draft projection: Early 1st Round (9.01-10.00)
2025 NFL Mock Draft: Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, and 3 other QBs go Round 1 while Michigan dominates early
Does the 2025 NFL Draft have more good QBs than we thought?
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