Tennessee's James Pearce Continues to Be Placed in Late First Round of Mock Drafts

Former Tennessee Volunteer James Pearce Jr. continues to be placed in the late first round of NFL mock drafts.

Dec 30, 2022; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers running back Will Shipley (1) runs the ball ahead of Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) during the second half of the 2022 Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The NFL Combine will be taking place next week and it will be one of the last opportunities for players to increase their stock before the NFL draft rolls around. Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. came into the 2024 college football season projected as a top-10 pick, but has started to trend more into the back end of the first round.

That's exactly where NFL.com's Gennaro Filice had Pearce Jr. going in his latest mock draft. Pearce Jr. was slotted at the 27th overall pick to the Baltimore Ravens. Here is what Filice had to say about the pick:

"Kyle Van Noy’s Raven rebirth is inspiring," Filice wrote. "The man just made his first Pro Bowl at age 33, having led Baltimore with a career-high 12.5 sacks. But Van Noy can’t stiff-arm Father Time forever. Not to mention, he’s heading into the final year of his contract -- just like Odafe Oweh, who could be in line for a lucrative extension on the heels of a breakout season. So Baltimore appears due for a talent infusion on the edge, with a cost-controlled rookie contract being an added benefit."

Pearce Jr.'s fall in the draft order may not even be to any fault of his own. This year's edge rusher class is loaded with top-end talent with names like Abdul Carter from Penn State, Mike Green from Marshall and Mykel Williams from Georgia consistently being mocked ahead of the former Volunteer.

As mentioned before, Pearce Jr. will have the opportunity to boost his draft stock at the combine and at Tennessee's pro day, but at the very least, it looks like he will remain a first-round pick regardless.

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