Tennessee's James Pearce Talks NFL Draft Process, His Development with the Vols

Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr. spoke about the NFL draft process thus far and how the Volunteers helped him develop.

Christian Kirby, SI

Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr. spoke about the NFL draft process thus far and how the Volunteers helped him develop.

The Tennessee Volunteers have a good number of players representing the program at the NFL Combine this week and the headliner of the group is EDGE James Pearce Jr. The former Volunteer was one of the top players in the SEC and now is eyeing down a first round selection.

During his time at the podium, Pearce Jr. highlighted his time at Tennessee, what the program means to him and what the overall draft process has looked like for him. Here is everything he had to say surrounding those topics:

Pearce is a force off the edge as he finished his Tennessee career with 19 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 interception. Having a quieter season than they last didn’t change Pearce’s projection much as many believe Pearce will be a first round pick.

The Athletic released an article titled “Which 2025 NFL Draft prospects will show off at the combine? Revisiting Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List,” discussing many players including Pearce who is one of the ‘“freak athletes” to be listed.

“He has been productive for a good Vols defense, posting a team-high 13 TFLs, 7.5 sacks and 10 QB hurries in 2024,” Feldman said. “As a sophomore, the 6-5, 243-pounder wowed folks in the Citrus Bowl when he clocked 23 mph on a pick six against Iowa, turning in one of the fastest GPS measurements of any FBS play all season. Vols coaches have told me Pearce is a legit 4.4-caliber talent. He has become a bit of a polarizing prospect, but he should impress in the testing part of the draft process.”

Pearce is expected to be one of the first edge rushers to be taken in this year’s draft. He was the captain up front and solidified himself as one of the greatest edge rushers in school history.

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