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Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. was not included in the latest first round NFL mock draft.
Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr. had an impressive outing at the NFL Combine last week. He ran a 4.47 in the 40, posted a 31" vertical and broad jumped 10' 3". Heading into last week, Pearce Jr. was viewed as a last first round pick and it appeared as if he helped his stock after his combine performance.
However, the latest first round NFL mock draft would say other wise. CBS' Ryan Wilson released his updated first round mock draft following the combine, and Pearce Jr. was no where to be found on the list. Marshall's Mike Green, Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart, Georgia's Jalon Walker and Georgia's Mykel Williams did however make the list.
Pearce Jr. was viewed as one of the top players in all of college football heading into last season but that projection has not translated to the NFL draft.
Vols on SI spoke with several NFL GMs here in Indianapolis to find out why Pearce's stock appears to be dropping.
"He doesn't fight with his hands very well right now. You see the build, and the traits, his arm length, but you see him winning with those traits alone." Sources went on to express concern about general run game instincts as well. "He has a hard time right now recognizing pullers, shrinking space and defeating blocks in the run game."
"If I was his people, I would be disappointed in the loss of money, not being picked that high, but I'd be happy knowing I'm going to a place where I can grow into a long and fruitful NFL career."
On the flip side, one NFL GM that Vols on SI spoke with was impressed with Pearce's combine performance.
"I think his workout yesterday and his interviews did him really well. What a terrific young man personally, and an athlete no doubt. I think for teams picking at the bottom of the first round, he certainly has a chance of going, he's got room to grow and WOW the character to do it," said one NFL GM who spoke to Vols on SI exclusively.
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TODAY'S BEST
LSU predicted to go to court over Brian Kelly's buyout
Despite LSU firing Brian Kelly on Sunday, the program has not yet finalized a plan for the former head coach's buyout, estimated at $53 million. It's unclear how many greenbacks the Tigers will pay. Kelly left Notre Dame in November 2021 to sign a 10-year, $95 million deal with the Tigers. He went 34-14 with LSU before he could finish his fourth season, which equates to approximately $2.97 million per win for Kelly. Per Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry suggested during a news conference on Wednesday that state taxpayers could foot part of the bill for Kelly's buyout. That would be atypical, as most programs fund buyouts via donations. LSU could go to court over Brian Kelly's contract LSU is set to continue paying Kelly in monthly installments of $800,000. However, a long-term solution between Kelly and the program has not been reached, and a case could end up in court. According to Yahoo Sports, LSU noted in its announcement that buyout details would be announced at a later date — quite possibly at the governor's behest, who seems opposed to paying the full fare, even if it means resorting to the legal system. “We may end up in a Louisiana courtroom,” predicted one person, per Yahoo Sports. Landry expressed concern about the contract now-former athletic director Scott Woodward gave Kelly, stating that the next head coach would not receive such a contract. (Woodward has since been fired.) "We're gonna make sure that he's compensated properly, and we're gonna put metrics on it because I'm tired of rewarding failure in this country and then leaving the taxpayers to foot the bill," said Landry. The situation is bad optics for the state of Louisiana and LSU. Any prospective candidate for the Tigers has to wonder whether the program or the state is willing to live up to its word. While college football coaching contracts are spiraling out of control, it's up to the school (and in LSU's case, as a public institution, the state) to make sure those contracts aren't signed in the first place if they cannot honor the details of the agreement.
Emerging Michigan football star earns Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors
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The Green Bay Packers don't tend to be the most active team ahead of trade deadlines. Since general manager Brian Gutekunst took over in 2018, he's never acquired a player in the week leading up to the deadline — on the other hand, he's sold Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Ty Montgomery, Rasul Douglas, and Preston Smith. However, Gutekunst did consider some trades — most notably, wide receiver Will Fuller back in 2020. Ultimately, the price requested by the Houston Texans wasn't right. This is mostly how the Packers will process things ahead of Tuesday's deadline. The roster is good enough The Packers already made two trades right before the season, acquiring Micah Parsons and Darian Kinnard. Asked about potential moves on Monday, head coach Matt LaFleur mentioned that the team doesn't need to add more players to be competitive, but the front office is making sure to evaluate opportunities. "I don't think so, not necessarily," LaFleur said about the need to add pieces. "I know Gutey and the rest of the guys upstairs are doing a great job of looking for things that could potentially help us, and if the right decision is there, I’ve got full confidence he’ll make it." Gutekunst and LaFleur have a close relationship, and the big roster decisions go through both of them, even though the GM has the final call. "We're in constant communication about everything," LaFleur added. While cornerback and defensive tackle were arguably the biggest needs on the roster, the tight end room also became thin with Tucker Kraft's season-ending knee injury. Right now, the only two TEs on the roster are Luke Musgrave and John FitzPatrick — Josh Whyle is on the practice squad and could be promoted or elevated. The trade deadline is at 3 p.m. (CT) on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Don't expect big moves from the Packers, but something might happen — and as always, only if the price is right. This article was originally published on A to Z Sports Green Bay, as "Matt LaFleur spills the beans on what the Packers really plan to do ahead of the NFL trade deadline."
Packers linked to trade for former All-Pro to replace Kenny Clark
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Giants offensive lineman delivers harsh truth about team struggles that many inside the organization won’t admit
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