James Pearce Jr. Drawing Elite NFL Comparisons

Originally posted on Tennessee Volunteers on SI
By Evan Crowell | Last updated Jun 25, 2024 4:30 PM ET

Tennessee Volunteers edge rusher James Pearce Jr. drew an interesting NFL comparison from a prominent analyst on Tuesday.

Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. ranks as the No. 1 returning defensive lineman in college football to most analysts and fans. Some thought he would be the top defensive player in last year's NFL Draft had he been able to declare, but he's at the top of the board for the 2025 cycle.

Brett Kollmann annually ranks hundreds of prospects for the NFL Draft cycle and has gotten an early start on his homework for next year's class. He took to X on Tuesday afternoon to give Pearce an interesting NFL comparison.

Not quite the same length profile but I get Aldon Smith vibes from James Pearce
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) June 25, 2024

The San Francisco 49ers selected Aldon Smith with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He made an All-Pro first-team during his second season in the NFL, tallying 19.5 sacks and becoming one of the league's breakout stars. Off-field concerns derailed his career, but his playing heights were extremely high. Pearce was a consensus All-SEC first-team selection during his sophomore season and hopes to achieve even greater things next year.

This article first appeared on Tennessee Volunteers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: