James Pearce Jr. is a Franchise Changing Game Wrecker

First Round Mock’s NFL Draft Analyst Rajvir Bal likes what he sees of Tennessee Edge Rusher James Pearce Jr. when he turned on the game film.

Edge Rushers are among the most important positions in college football and often among the most coveted positions in the NFL Draft.

Prospects who have played this position like Ohio State’s Chase Young, Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr., Michigan’s Aidan Hutchison, and Georgia’s Travon Walker have been selected high in the first round in recent drafts.

Today, I will evaluate Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. and see if he can continue the trend.

Background

Pearce was a 4-star prospect out of high school and committed to Tennessee in December of 2021 (per 247Sports)

This is the production he has posted in college (ESPN):

2022: 

4 games, 5 tackles (3 solo), 2 sacks

2023: 

11 games, 24 tackles (15 solo), 8.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble

Pearce is in the 74th percentile of height and 4th percentile of weight for his position (per NFLDraftBuzz.com)

#27 James Pearce Jr. 6-foot-5, 243 pounds 
Rajvir Bal’s 2025 NFL Draft Grade: Early First-Round (I would select him)
Projected by 92.3% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of August 24, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2023 game film reviewed: Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Virginia, and Florida (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

The Good

Pearce pops on his game film on an otherwise mediocre Tennessee defense. He is one of the most agile edges I have evaluated. His athleticism is off the charts and it greatly plays to his advantage against fellow college athletes. He’s effective at crashing the pocket and his quick first step allows him to fire off at the quarterback. He blitzes as both an end and linebacker. This versatility will allow a defensive coordinator to scheme him into many different situations and will make him an asset in the NFL. Pearce’s pass-rush moves are polished and his spin move is especially effective at getting past the opposing tackle. His game film screams domination, and it’s clear that the sky’s the limit for him professionally.

The Bad

While Pearce has many features NFL coaches will salivate over, just like every prospect he has his pitfalls. To be frank, he is weaker and smaller than the typical lineman. This is a clear disadvantage, and he can be seen on film being pushed down the field, or even being pancaked. I hope that his athleticism and elite traits can offset his physical disadvantages.

Final Thoughts For Now

I am hesitant to put a Hall of Fame grade on him because of his setbacks. However, after this season that could very easily change.

James Pearce Jr. is a really good college player with tremendous upside for the pros.

Rajvir Bal is a high school student from the Virginia area. He grew up a rabid Washington Redskins fan, attending more than 30 games, and has enjoyed the team’s high points and low points throughout his life. He plays varsity football and basketball. Rajvir has taken an interest in the NFL Draft since middle school when his team picked Montez Sweat and Dwayne Haskins in the first round. His favorite NFL player ever flips between Rob Gronkowski and Brett Favre, and his favorite athlete is LeBron James. He has been writing his own scouting reports since 2020, and is excited for the opportunities FirstRoundMock provides.