Tennessee Volunteers: James Pearce Jr. Projected To Be Top Defensive Lineman In 2025 NFL Draft
James Pearce Jr., a defensive lineman for the Tennessee Volunteers, is getting ready for his junior campaign. Tennessee is hoping to get into the enlarged College Football Playoff field after finishing 9-4 in the previous season. In an extremely competitive SEC Conference, the Volunteers will want to establish their mettle.
Pearce Jr. did not produce much in his rookie season, but in his sophomore year, his numbers significantly increased. He has 27 stops, 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one defensive score (52 yards) in his sophomore campaign. In collegiate football, James Pearce Jr. was a member of the All-First SEC team his junior year and aims to return to the squad.
Many believe he might be a very high selection in the 2025 NFL Draft because of his sophomore jump. CBS Sports Pearce Jr. may go as high as the second overall choice in the 2025 NFL Draft, according to Chris Trapasso. In that mock draft, he had him going to the Tennessee Titans, saying:
“Pearce has the size and qualities to go this high in the draft and was ridiculously productive in the SEC last season.”
At 6’5′′, he weighs 242 pounds. On the defensive line, James Pearce Jr. and Mason Graham of the Michigan Wolverines could be selected in the top five of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Depending on who has the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Pearce Jr. might be selected as the first overall pick. In contrast to the 2024 NFL Draft, not many teams might need to select a quarterback in the 2025 Draft. Carson Beck, the quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs, might be the first pick in the draft, depending on how things work out.
Tim Banks, the defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Volunteers, discussed Pearce Jr. with the media in the spring. He declared:
We believe that he has no limits. He was obviously only a sophomore. I believe he is only beginning to reach his full potential. He is incredibly adaptable. James, I believe, would be the first to admit that he has a lot of space for improvement. The good news is that he is now making a lot of effort to advance.
In the past ten years, Pearce Jr. might become the third defensive lineman to be selected first overall in an NFL Draft. The top pick in 2022 went to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Travon Walker of Georgia, and the top pick in 2017 went to the Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett of Texas A&M.
