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Pros, cons of Atlanta Falcons picking Tennessee's James Pearce in 2025 NFL Draft
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- Pros, cons of Atlanta Falcons picking Tennessee's James Pearce in 2025 NFL Draft
Tennessee football edge rusher James Pearce is officially an NFL rookie after being picked by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2025 NFL Draft on April 24.
Pearce was selected No. 26 overall in the first round. The Falcons traded back into the first round to get Pearce, giving up their 2025 second-round pick and 2026 first-round pick as part of the deal.
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Pearce is the 48th first-round pick in Vols history and the second in coach Josh Heupel's tenure. Offensive tackle Darnell Wright went No. 10 to the Chicago Bears in the 2023 draft.
Here's what Pearce brings to the Falcons based on his career with the Tennessee Vols.
What James Pearce brings to Atlanta Falcons in 2025 NFL Draft
Pearce is probably the fastest edge rusher in this draft. The 6-foot-5, 245-pounder demonstrated that with his 4.47-second time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. And he racked by 17.5 sacks and 27.5 tackles-for-loss in the past two seasons.
Pearce also has flashed an ability to drop into pass coverage. If he can further develop that skill, he can be an every-down playmaker.
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A year ago, Pearce was projected as a potential No. 1 overall pick . And he undoubtedly has elite talent coming off the edge.
Fair or not, his stock dropped because of questions about his character and maturity . But the Falcons weren't dissuaded.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Atlanta did extensive homework on Pearce's character, interviewing him and his mother one last time on the day before the draft. And the Falcons liked him enough that they almost picked Pearce with the No. 15 pick.
James Pearce highlights, strengths, weaknesses at Tennessee
Pearce was one of college football's best pass rushers over the past two seasons. He routinely blew past NFL-caliber offensive tackles to get into the backfield. But he had a lot more QB hurries than sacks. That showed he needs work finishing tackles and bending toward the quarterback.
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Pearce also had a lower snap count than many dominant defenders. That's partly because UT had a very deep rotation on the defensive line, but it also suggests that Pearce may be a situational pass rusher rather than an every-down defender.
VOLS IN NFL DRAFT 10 things you may not know about Tennessee draft history
James Pearce stats with Tennessee
Pearce had 38 tackles, including 13 for loss, in the 2024 season. He had 7.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Pro Football Focus credited Pearce with 43 QB hurries, tied with Penn State's Abdul Carter for third most among edge rushers in the 2024 season. Carter was picked No. 3 by the New York Giants .
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Pearce arguably had a better season in 2023. That's when he recorded 14.5 tackles-for-loss, 10 sacks and a 52-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Citrus Bowl.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe .
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Atlanta Falcons draft James Pearce in 2025 NFL Draft: Pros, cons of pick
