Falcons' Rookie James Pearce Jr. Closing In On Elite Company

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Falcons were very aggressive last spring when they traded back up into the first round for James Pearce Jr. They shipped away a 2026 first-round pick that has since drifted into the top-10, but there seems to be no buyer’s remorse from this club or its fans.

Why? Because the pass rusher has shown to be the force that the Falcons were gambling on.

Pearce has recorded a sack in each of the Falcons’ last five games, and he could join some elite company if he can get to Baker Mayfield this week in Tampa.

The Falcons Podcast: Spotify | Apple Pods | WATCH

His stretch of games is tied for the fourth-longest streak by a rookie since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. Only Jevon Kearse (eight games in 1999), Micah Parsons (six in 2021), and Mike Croel (six in 1991) had a longer streak among rookies. All three of these players reached the double-digit sack mark during their rookie seasons and took home Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Additionally, one more sack this season would tie him with defensive lineman Michael Pitts (1983) for the Falcons’ franchise record for sacks in a rookie season (7.0).

Pearce is now tied with Brandon Dorlus for sacks and has sole possession of the most among rookies (6.0), while his 32 pressures are the most on the Falcons by a wide margin. The contributions of Pearce have elevated this pass rush to becoming one of the NFL’s best units this season.

Despite his rapid ascent, the rookie pushed back on the importance of his sack totals and statistical output.

“It’s cool, [but] it’s just numbers,” Pearce said on Sunday. “All we care about is wins and taking care of each other, locker to locker. That’s all that matters.”

This comment highlights the growth that defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has seen from his budding star pass rusher.

“Just absolute growth, and I know I keep harping on this, but in my opinion, it's the most important thing with young players,” Ulbrich said. “Every time we come out here, I feel like he's a little bit better in walk-throughs, he's a little bit better in practice. Even in conversations with him, his football intelligence is starting to really shine through, and he's starting to gain a deeper understanding of football, just at this level, our scheme.

What happens next for the Atlanta Falcons? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Falcons news delivered to your inbox daily!

“Then ultimately, his superpowers as far as a pass rusher, and how we can best take advantage of that skill set. It's exciting because the sky's the limit for this young man. As long as he keeps refining his process and really puts his nose down and continues to work and keeps the humility that we have with him right now, the sky's the limit. He's going to be an absolute problem for a long, long time.”

Pearce will have the chance to tie Parsons and Croel this Thursday night in Tampa against the Buccaneers. Kickoff in that game is set for 8:15 p.m. at Raymond-James Stadium.