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Mock Draft Roundup: Tennessee's James Pearce set to be one of the top picks in 2025 NFL Draft

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•05/07/24•

GrantRamey

James Pearce
Tennessee Athletics

James Pearce erupted onto the scene for Tennessee Football last season. His breakout sophomore season included 10.0 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss and 16 quarterback hits as the former On3 five-star prospect led the Vols as one of the most dominant pass rushers in college football. 

Now Pearce is set to parlay that success into one of the highest picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, according to the early mock drafts. Here’s where Pearce is currently being projected with the look toward next year’s draft already underway:

Pro Football Focus

No. 1 Carolina Panthers 

Pro Football Focus: “After trading away Brian Burns, the Panthers find their next athletic edge rusher in Pearce. The sophomore’s 21.3% pressure rate ranked third among college football edge defenders, as did his 92.4 pass-rush grade. The scariest part is that he won almost exclusively off athleticism against SEC tackles. If Pearce develops more pass-rushing moves, watch out.”

ESPN

No. 4 Carolina Panthers

ESPN: “Pearce has a rare combination of bend and closing speed. He’s a scheme-versatile defender who had a 20.2% pressure rate (third in the FBS), 10 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss last season, and he was especially great on third down (25.5% pressure). The Panthers need an explosive edge rusher after trading Brian Burns to the Giants this offseason.”

NBC Sports

No. 4 Tennessee Titans

NBC Sports: “A terror off the edge who charted 8.5 sacks with a team-leading 4.7% havoc rate and 14.5 tackles for loss (TFL), Pearce recorded the second-highest PFF pass rush grade in the Power 5 (P5) at 92.4 behind only UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu, who was the first defender selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. Pearce Jr. is a crafty, versatile edge defender with all the physical tools to succeed and the pedigree to revitalize the Titans’ pass rush.”

Pro Football Network

No. 11 Seattle Seahawks

Pro Football Network: ”The Seattle Seahawks provided help on the inside of their DL in the previous draft with the selection of Byron Murphy II in the first round. This time, they go for the outside, bringing in a defensive heat-seeking missile in James Pearce Jr. While slightly undersized at 242 pounds, his burst off the end and dominant length at 6’5″ should earn him early-round capital.” 

FOX Sports

No. 15 Los Angeles Chargers

FOX Sports: “Pearce led the SEC with 10 sacks in 2023 and finished second in the conference with 15 tackles for loss. Listed by the Vols at 6-foot-5 and 242 pounds, Pearce has a lean, lanky frame that can handle another 10-15 pounds without sacrificing his trademark burst and bend off the edge.”

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