Putting odds on Tennessee's James Pearce as the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft
Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce is one of three college football players with 25/1 odds to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, according to odds set by BetOnline. Ten players have better odds than Pearce to be the top overall pick.
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is the favorite at 9/2 (+450), ahead of his teammate, defensive back and wide receiver Travis Hunter at 13/2 (+650).
Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Georgia quarterback Carson Beck have 7/1 odds, Texas quarterback is at 8/1 and Alabama quarterback is at 12/1. Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. and LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell both have 14/1 odds while LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and Georgia defensive lineman Mykel Williams are 22/1.
The other players with Pearce at 25/1 odds are Penn State quarterback Drew Allar and Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.
James Pearce this season: 22.0 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 31 pressures, 25 hurries
Pearce is up to 22.0 tackles through Tennessee’s first seven games of the season. He leads the Vols with 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits. According to Pro Football Focus he has 31 pressures and 25 hurries on the season.
Pearce is No. 4 overall in ESPN’s consensus top-10 for the 2025 NFL Draft, while Mel Kiper Jr. has him ranked No. 7 on his current big board.
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“Tennessee spent the early part of the season rolling its opponents,” Kiper wrote, “limiting Pearce to 56 snaps over the team’s first three games. But Pearce — who is coming off a 10-sack season in 2023 — has seen plenty of action over his past two games.”
ESPN has James Pearce at No. 5 overall in NFL mock draft
Pearce was the No. 5 overall pick in ESPN’s mock draft published earlier this month, with ESPN NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid projecting Pearce to go to the Tennessee Titans with the fifth overall pick.
“Here’s another team that could address quarterback,” Reid wrote of the Titans, “as the jury is still out on Will Levis. Let’s put a pin in that for now; it’s only October. Instead, I’m looking at the defense, where the Titans need pass rushers. They are one of seven teams with fewer than 10 sacks (nine).
“Pearce is a scheme-versatile defender,” Reid continued, “who can play standing up at outside linebacker or with his hand down in the dirt at defensive end. And while he has managed just two sacks, his pressure rate (17.6%) ranks fourth in the nation. Scouts will be watching Pearce closely the rest of the way, starting this Saturday against Alabama.”
