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Tennessee Vols edge rusher James Pearce, Jr. stands alone in a crucial area heading into 2025 NFL Draft
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tennessee Vols outside linebacker James Pearce, Jr. was considered by many during the 2024 offseason to be a top 10 pick, with some predicting he could even go number one overall

That talk has since cooled to some degree, at least among the draft pundits/mock drafters.  Some have gone so far as to drop him to the second round

However, it's unlikely that NFL front offices will agree.  After all, Pearce, Jr. brings has brought something to the table over the last two years that no other player at his position his: consistency and production. 

Per A to Z Sports' Travis May, Pearce, Jr. is the only player in the 2025 NFL Draft with a pressure rate over 20% in each of the last two seasons. 

Sometimes, when it comes to pass rushers, teams fall in love with physical tools and upside over college production.  And sometimes that works out, as it did with the Dolphins and Chop Robinson and (eventually) the Jaguars and Travon Walker. 

However, Pearce, Jr. gives general managers the best of both worlds.  He's got the measurables and explosiveness to be a great pass rusher at the next level.  And it's something that's not going to take as much time to develop and coax out of him like with other prospects because he's been producing at a high level in the SEC. 

As Football Insights notes in the chart comparing career production numbers for 2025 edge prospects against prior draftees/current NFL players, Pearce, Jr. is darned near the best among all of them.  Only Nick Bosa had a higher pass rush win rate than Pearce, Jr.  Penn State's Abdul Carter, considered by many experts a top five pick, had a lower career pass rush win rate in a slightly higher number of true pass rush sets than Pearce, Jr. 

Pearce, Jr. is going to have to improve a bit in the run game.  However, with the pass rushing acumen that GMs crave, that's something that teams should be willing to gamble on in the draft.  

The solution is right there for teams looking for help at improving their pass rush.  We'll see if someone in the top half of the draft won't overthink it in April. 

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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