Louis Riddick Doubles Down on James Pearce Jr. Bold Prediction

The ESPN analyst and NFL safety didn't nail a bold prediction of his, but he's still certain of what the Atlanta Falcons linebacker can become

Pearce continues to establish himself as a dominant defender on the Falcons | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons took not one but two pass rushers in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Through 14 games, it has worked for the Falcons, as the duo has completely revamped an Atlanta pass rush that was downright decrepit last season. 

The Falcons rank second in the NFL with 48 sacks, although they have played one more game, and much of that surge comes from first-year players James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker. Pearce, in particular, has done what he could to stand out across the league. 

ESPN analyst and former NFL safety Louis Riddick was big on Pearce heading into the season. One of the top bold predictions he made was that he young linebacker would lead the league in sacks. 

It wasn’t meant to be serious. It was just meant to emphasize how good he could be in the NFL. 

“He won’t lead the league this year, but he will in the future,” he said on X. “I tried to tell you.” 

Pearce recorded his sixth straight game with a sack on Thursday night and had his first career game with two. This is tied with Micah Parsons and Mike Croel for the second-longest streak of consecutive games with a sack by a rookie in NFL history. The only player with a longer streak was Jevon Kearse in 1991, who recorded a sack in eight straight games. 

For what it’s worth, he leads rookies in this category. Perhaps, it’s close enough. 

“Regardless, Pearce Jr is a fantastic talent and someone that will be a [defensive player of the year] before his career is over,” Riddick said on X. 

It’s the kind of trajectory that has Atlanta’s coaching staff buzzing, particularly defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.

“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.” Ulbrich said.

James Pearce Jr. is anchoring Atlanta’s pass rush and making an immediate impact. The Falcons may have turned one of their weaknesses into a legitimate strength. Their combination of production, skill and leadership gives the team a foundation to build on for years to come.