The Atlanta Falcons traded back into the first round and added to their defense by selecting Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. with the No. 26 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Atlanta sent the Los Angeles Rams the 46th and 242th picks in this years draft along with a 2026 first-round pick in exchange for the 26th and 101st selectionsin this year’s draft.
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A quick, lean rusher who often lined up out wide for the Volunteers, Pearce smoked his fellow edge rushers at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine. He exploded for a 4.47 40 (with a 1.56 10-yard split), the fastest time among edge rushers by a full 0.1 of a second.
He’s not all speed, though. With 27.5 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks over the last two seasons, Pearce led the Vols in each category as both a sophomore and junior. He also recorded 107 pressures during that time, the most in the SEC and sixth in the FBS overall.
As a junior, Pearce was a semifinalist for the 2024 Bednarik Award and the Lombardi Award. He also made the coaches’ All-SEC first team and the AP All-SEC second team this season. Pearce was previously named first-team All-SEC on both lists as a sophomore, making him Tennessee’s first defensive lineman to earn consecutive first-team All-SEC honors since College Football Hall of Famer John Henderson in 2000 and 2001.
‘The Beast’ breakdown
Pearce ranked No. 36 in Dane Brugler’s top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
Although not a technician, Pearce is a fast, linear athlete who can win races to the edge or collapse the pocket with force behind his extended, upward levers (23 percent pass rush win rate in 2024, second best in the FBS). He was steady with his effort against the run in college, but more will be needed of him to hold up against NFL competition. Overall, Pearce is upright and frenetic in his play style, but his blend of explosiveness and power creates consistent disruption as a pass rusher. He shows promise in the run game, too.
Coaching intel
What an anonymous coach had to say about Pearce in Bruce Feldman’s mock draft :
“We felt like we could neutralize him with some chips and take him out,” one Power 4 offensive line coach said. “He wants no part of setting the edge and stopping the run. He reminds me a lot of (former Atlanta Falcons first-round pick) Vic Beasley.”
.@JamesPearceJr10 simulcam vs. a few SB champs 🏃♂️💨
📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/UHaOR1d8nn— NFL (@NFL) February 27, 2025
Come back later for more analysis of James Pearce Jr.
(Photo: Brandon Sumrall / Getty Images)
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