Nov 16, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) rushes the passer against the Georgia Bulldogs in the second quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

NFL Draft Expert Attempts To Explain Recent Drop In James Pearce Jr. Draft Stock

Originally posted on Tennessee Volunteers on SI
By Caleb Sisk | Last updated Feb 18, 2025 10:43 AM ET

ESPN Draft analysts attempt to explain the recent drop in the draft stock of Tennessee EDGE rusher, James Pearce Jr.

Tennessee EDGE Rusher James Pearce enterred the 2024 College Football Season as potentially the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. Following a sophomore season in Knoxville that saw him lead the SEC in sacks, several NFL evaluators were looking into Pearce at the very top of the upcoming draft.

Following the season, however, Pearce Jr's draft stock has seemingly fallen to the bottom half of the first-round. In the latest ESPN Mock Draft, Pearce Jr. is selected with the No. 19 Overall to the Tampa Bay Bucs.

ESPN Draft analyst, Mel Kiper Jr. went on to attempt to explain the reasoning for the drop in draft stock for Pearce Jr. in the latest ESPN NFL Draff Podcast with Field Yates.

"There are some players, I think every evaluator will admit this, There are some players that you just don't know. You really can't feel strongly one way or the other about a player. You'll almost try to throw your hands up and say, 'I don't get this. I can't make a strong argument to take them or not take them.' And James Pierce, Jr is one of those guys, because I thought going in, based on what we saw last year in 2023 he would be, along with Mykel Williams, maybe the number one pick in this draft. That pass rusher is going to get a ton of the sacks. He's going to be out there wreaking havoc. And when you turned it on (Pearce) wasn't always doing that. Okay, so to me, the flashes we saw this year, we did see some production. It wasn't like you didn't do anything. He was disruptive against the run, he did Chase, he did hustle, but you didn't see what we thought we would see. We didn't get it on a week to week basis. And when that happens, it kind of makes you wonder, Am I too low? Am I too high? Or I should just say I don't understand this player at all? Yeah, I'm not gonna say, hey, whatever happens in the NFL is gonna surprise me, one way or the other. James Pierce Jr, I don't have a good handle on him."