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Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. had 17 sacks over the past two seasons for the Volunteers — numbers that intrigue NFL scouts. But his stock has taken a hit due to questions about his run-stopping ability and maturity.
Where could Pearce Jr. land in the 2025 NFL Draft? Will he be a first-round pick?
Recent NFL mock draft projections have the star Volunteers pass rusher going as high as No. 16 in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 24, with some others projecting him as a late first-round selection.
Check out the latest NFL draft projections and chatter for James Pearce Jr. in the 2025 NFL Draft. Which team(s) would be a good fit for the pass rusher?
More: Potential Arizona Cardinals 2025 NFL Draft target James Pearce Jr. wows at NFL combine
Theo Mackie writes: "Pearce’s stock has fallen a bit through draft season, due to concerns about his ability as a run stopper. His pass rushing ability, though, would create an incredible tandem with Aidan Hutchinson and pose serious problems for opposing offensive coordinators."
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz writes: "Howie Roseman returned to his usual tactics in free agency by buying the dip with one-year deals for a couple of talented edge rushers in Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche. Here, he can employ the same strategy to find a long-term solution at one of his most coveted spots, with Pearce having the explosive initial burst and closing speed of a top pick despite his occasionally uneven results."
Read more: Potential Arizona Cardinals 2025 NFL Draft targets among NFL combine winners
Jacob Camenker writes: "Meta wanted to find the Buccaneers a potential 'cornerstone player' and settled on Pearce because of his speed rushing abilities. The Tennessee product had 19.5 sacks in 39 career college games and would be a strong addition to a pass rush rotation currently highlighted by Haason Reddick and Yaya Diaby."
Ryan Wilson writes: "Pearce is a juiced up, twitchy edge rusher who can win with the bull rush or speed around the edge. He plays with a nonstop motor but off-field concerns might push him down the board."
When is 2025 NFL Draft? Dates, times, location, TV, streaming, order, projections, odds
Mike Band writes: "Arizona signed Josh Sweat to a four-year, $76.4 million contract in free agency and brought back Baron Browning on a two-year deal, but we should not assume head coach Jonathan Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort are done adding pieces to the pass rush. The Cardinals have listed Sweat and Browning as linebackers on their official roster, an indication they covet scheme-flexible edge defenders who can stand up or put a hand in the dirt. Pearce, who displayed relentless pursuit at Tennessee, perfectly fits that mold, bringing the burst Gannon seems to look for off the edge. Should Arizona pivot to the interior, Michigan's Kenneth Grant and Oregon's Derrick Harmon would presumably be on the short list as scheme fits."
Chris Trapasso writes: "Washington calls in this pick immediately. Maturity issues be damned, Pearce was a tremendously productive defensive end at Tennessee over the past two seasons."
NFL mock draft: New York Giants take Travis Hunter, Pittsburgh Steelers find a quarterback
It writes: "The Bengals add some much-needed juice to their pass-rush group, grabbing a twitchy edge defender in Pearce. The former Vols star posted a position-best 4.47-second 40-yard dash over the weekend, showcasing the first-step burst that could make him a disruptive rusher at the next level. Pearce should feature in the team’s pass-rush rotation right away."
Interestingly, Pearce Jr. did not appear in Pete Prisco's most recent mock draft for CBS Sports, nor Yahoo Sports' latest NFL draft projection for the first round, nor in Rhett Lewis' first-round NFL mock draft for NFL.com.
Reach Jeremy Cluff at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: James Pearce Jr. NFL mock draft: Is Tennessee edge a first-round pick?
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Where could Pearce Jr. land in the 2025 NFL Draft? Will he be a first-round pick?
Recent NFL mock draft projections have the star Volunteers pass rusher going as high as No. 16 in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 24, with some others projecting him as a late first-round selection.
Check out the latest NFL draft projections and chatter for James Pearce Jr. in the 2025 NFL Draft. Which team(s) would be a good fit for the pass rusher?
More: Potential Arizona Cardinals 2025 NFL Draft target James Pearce Jr. wows at NFL combine
The Arizona Republic: James Pearce Jr. picked by Detroit Lions at No. 28
Theo Mackie writes: "Pearce’s stock has fallen a bit through draft season, due to concerns about his ability as a run stopper. His pass rushing ability, though, would create an incredible tandem with Aidan Hutchinson and pose serious problems for opposing offensive coordinators."
USA TODAY Sports: James Pearce Jr. lands with Philadelphia Eagles at No. 32
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz writes: "Howie Roseman returned to his usual tactics in free agency by buying the dip with one-year deals for a couple of talented edge rushers in Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche. Here, he can employ the same strategy to find a long-term solution at one of his most coveted spots, with Pearce having the explosive initial burst and closing speed of a top pick despite his occasionally uneven results."
Read more: Potential Arizona Cardinals 2025 NFL Draft targets among NFL combine winners
USA TODAY Sports: James Pearce Jr. goes to Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 19 in Meta AI mock draft
Jacob Camenker writes: "Meta wanted to find the Buccaneers a potential 'cornerstone player' and settled on Pearce because of his speed rushing abilities. The Tennessee product had 19.5 sacks in 39 career college games and would be a strong addition to a pass rush rotation currently highlighted by Haason Reddick and Yaya Diaby."
CBS Sports: James Pearce Jr. taken by Philadelphia Eagles with No. 32 pick
Ryan Wilson writes: "Pearce is a juiced up, twitchy edge rusher who can win with the bull rush or speed around the edge. He plays with a nonstop motor but off-field concerns might push him down the board."
When is 2025 NFL Draft? Dates, times, location, TV, streaming, order, projections, odds
NFL.com: James Pearce Jr. taken by Arizona Cardinals at No. 16
Mike Band writes: "Arizona signed Josh Sweat to a four-year, $76.4 million contract in free agency and brought back Baron Browning on a two-year deal, but we should not assume head coach Jonathan Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort are done adding pieces to the pass rush. The Cardinals have listed Sweat and Browning as linebackers on their official roster, an indication they covet scheme-flexible edge defenders who can stand up or put a hand in the dirt. Pearce, who displayed relentless pursuit at Tennessee, perfectly fits that mold, bringing the burst Gannon seems to look for off the edge. Should Arizona pivot to the interior, Michigan's Kenneth Grant and Oregon's Derrick Harmon would presumably be on the short list as scheme fits."
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CBS Sports: James Pearce Jr. drafted by Washington Commanders at No. 29
Chris Trapasso writes: "Washington calls in this pick immediately. Maturity issues be damned, Pearce was a tremendously productive defensive end at Tennessee over the past two seasons."
NFL mock draft: New York Giants take Travis Hunter, Pittsburgh Steelers find a quarterback
The Ringer: James Pearce Jr. chosen by Cincinnati Bengals at No. 17
It writes: "The Bengals add some much-needed juice to their pass-rush group, grabbing a twitchy edge defender in Pearce. The former Vols star posted a position-best 4.47-second 40-yard dash over the weekend, showcasing the first-step burst that could make him a disruptive rusher at the next level. Pearce should feature in the team’s pass-rush rotation right away."
Could James Pearce Jr. fall out of first round of 2025 NFL Draft?
Interestingly, Pearce Jr. did not appear in Pete Prisco's most recent mock draft for CBS Sports, nor Yahoo Sports' latest NFL draft projection for the first round, nor in Rhett Lewis' first-round NFL mock draft for NFL.com.
Reach Jeremy Cluff at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: James Pearce Jr. NFL mock draft: Is Tennessee edge a first-round pick?
Continue reading...
