Former Tennessee EDGE rusher James Pearce Jr. is lined up to be the 14th draft pick from Tennessee in Josh Heupel’s tenure as he waits to hear his name called at the NFL Draft at the end of the month.
While Pearce’s draft stock has varied here throughout the offseason, some are speculating whether the former Vol will land as a late first-round pick or an early second-round selection.
In early April, ESPN’s Field Yates tagged Pearce as the 27th overall pick to the Baltimore Ravens, citing the team’s need for more “pass-rush” juice. Yates’ colleague Mel Kiper Jr. has Pearce sliding a bit further, though.
In Kiper’s latest mock draft from Tuesday, the ESPN analyst has Pearce as the final pick in the first round at No. 32 to the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Kiper states that while “there are mixed opinions around the league” about Pearce’s first-round status, “he has the traits to develop into a speedy disruptor in the right system.”
“The defending Super Bowl champs lost some key parts of their defense in free agency, including edge rusher Josh Sweat,” Kiper stated in his mock draft. “Being able to get after the quarterback is important for Vic Fangio’s defense, and there’s a glaring void now on the edge… [Pearce] had 17.5 sacks over the past two seasons and ranked second in the nation in pressure rate last season (19.0%).”
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After a strong performance at the NFL Combine where he posted the fastest 40-yard dash among all defensive linemen (4.46s), Pearce has been busy with team interviews. NFL’s Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday morning that Pearce is set to visit with the Indianapolis Colts and the Cincinnati Bengals this week after meeting with the Arizona Cardinals on Monday. The former Tennessee lineman also visited with the Dallas Cowboys and the Atlanta Falcons last week.
Those teams will have picks: Cowboys #12, Colts #14, Falcons #15, Cardinals #16, and Bengals #17.
While Pearce has slid down the draft boards from his Top 5 projection before the 2024 college football season, he could find himself in a better situation by going to a contender late in the draft as opposed to a team stuck in a rebuild with less to offer. Pearce’s projections of the Eagles and the Ravens from ESPN would land him with the teams with the two best Super Bowl odds at this stage in the offseason.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee football coverage. The 2025 NFL Draft will take place from April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
