Falcons GM Terry Fontenot Discusses Decision to Trade Up For Vols James Pearce

Atlanta Falcons GM Terry Fontenot discusses the decision to trade up for Tennessee EDGE James Pearce.

Nov 23, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) autographs items for childrenafter a game against the UTEP Miners at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brianna Paciorka/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Brianna Paciorka/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Atlanta Falcons GM Terry Fontenot discusses the decision to trade up for Tennessee EDGE James Pearce.

One of the biggest moves of the first round on Thursday was the Atlanta Falcons electing to trade back into the first round to select Tennessee EDGE James Pearce. It was a controversial decision as some felt the Falcons gave up too much draft capital for the pick, including next year's first-round pick. Falcons GM Terry Fontenot explained his thought process on the move.

"You know with trades, it always gets to that point where you have to weigh out what you're actually doing and what you're doing it for," Fontenot said. "We look at the trade charts and all of that stuff but at some point you have to look at okay who is the player, what are we really getting and it is it worth it? And that's what you really have to do. And when you have that kind of conviction and belief in the player, then that's when you're willing to do it."

The Falcons have had issues for many years now of rushing the quarterback. They elected to prioritize that need in this year's draft. The Falcons first selected Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker and then picked up Pearce shortly after that.

Pearce was a star player for the Volunteers on defense. He surged onto the college football scene during the 2023 season. During that season, he accumulated 10 sacks, 15 tackles for loss and 28 total tackles. Over his career, he racked up 19.5 sacks, 30 tackles for loss and 71 total tackles.

There was some speculation of whether or not Pearce would go in the first round of this year's draft, partially due to how loaded the EDGE class is this year. However, Pearce's upside proved to be too good to pass up within the first 32 picks.

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