The Athletic revisits James Pearce's initial 2025 NFL Draft ranking
The NFL Draft hype for James Pearce peaked after his breakout season with Tennessee Football in 2023. Multiple outlets, including The Athletic, had the star edge rusher as a potential No. 1 overall pick heading into the 2024 college football season.
The hype was never realized, though, with Pearce ultimately sliding to No. 26 overall in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler recently revisited his initial top-50 draft rankings for the 2025 class from last August, including Pearce at No. 5 overall.
“Pearce was a complicated prospect, for multiple reasons,” Brugler wrote. “The flashes he put on his 2023 tape earned him an optimistically high ranking over the summer. His 2024 tape showed those same flashes but also minimal growth, plus raised questions about his ability to be a true three-down player.
“Add in character concerns and his final grades from NFL teams were all over the place.”
James Pearce’s last two seasons at Tennessee: 17.5 sacks, 28 TFLs
Pearce had a breakout sophomore season at Tennessee in 2023, finishing with 10.0 sacks, 15 tackles for loss and 28 sacks in 13 games. Last season he had 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss in 13 games, finishing strong after having just 0.5 tackles for loss and no sacks through the first three games of the season.
Over the last two years, Pearce combined for 17.5 sacks and 28 tackles for loss, with 66 tackles and one interception returned for a touchdown. He played in 39 games in three seasons with the Vols, recording 19.5 sacks, 30 tackles for loss and 71 tackles.
Brugler had Michigan cornerback Will Johnson at No. 1 overall, ahead of Penn State’s Abdul Carter, Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Michigan’s Mason Graham.
Miami quarterback Cam Ward ultimately was the No. 1 overall pick, ahead of Hunter, Carter, LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell and then Graham. Johnson went at No. 47 overall as a second-round pick.
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The Atlanta Falcons traded up to get back into the first round and take Pearce at No. 26, after taking Georgia defensive end Jalon Walker at No. 15 overall.
James Pearce was the highest of Tennessee’s four 2025 NFL Draft picks
Pearce signed his rookie contract with the Falcons on May 12. It’s a four-year deal worth $16.7 million, including an $8.8 million signing bonus, according to Spotrac.
The contract runs through the 2028 season and includes a club option for 2029, before Pearce would become an unrestricted free agent in 2030. His base pay will increase from $840,000 to $1,235,000 over the next four seasons, on top of the $8,842,736 signing bonus.
Pearce was the highest pick among Tennessee’s four players selected in last month’s NFL Draft, with the Falcons trading back into the first round to pick him at No. 26.
Defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott was taken in the second round at No. 63 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs. Wide receiver Dont’e Thornton and running back Dylan Sampson were both fourth-round picks, with Thornton at No. 108 to the Las Vegas Raiders and Sampson going No. 126 overall by the Cleveland Browns.
