Latest NFL Mock Draft has Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. Barely Making First Round

Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. barely makes the first round in the latest NFL mock draft.
Nov 16, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) rushes the passer against the Georgia Bulldogs in the second quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Nov 16, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) rushes the passer against the Georgia Bulldogs in the second quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. barely makes the first round in the latest NFL mock draft.

The Tennessee Volunteers are going to lose some valuable contributors from the 2024 season to the NFL this offseason. One of those players is edge rusher James Pearce Jr. who was one of the biggest risers heading into the 2024 college football season. Many were mocking Pearce Jr. to be a potential first overall pick this offseason and some deemed him the best player in college football.

Pearce Jr. didn't exactly put up those kind of numbers this season but he still was a high-impact player for the Volunteers. In 2024, he finished with 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and 38 total tackles. That's coming off of a season in which he posted 10 sacks, 15 tackles for loss and 28 total tackles.

While Pearce Jr. of course did not get any worse, his draft stock for this year has certainly taken a hit as a result. ESPN's Mel Kiper released his latest first round NFL mock draft and he had Pearce Jr. barely making the first round cut. The Detroit Lions picked him up with the 28th overall pick. Here is what Kiper had to say about the pick:

"Even with Aidan Hutchinson (leg) back in the picture next season, Detroit can't let this Super Bowl window slip away because the pass rush doesn't have enough juice," Kiper wrote. "The Lions' 37 sacks tied for 23rd in the NFL this season. They were also 25th in pass rush win rate at 35.4%. Injuries wore down the defense, but there weren't enough playmakers there to begin with, even after the midseason trade for Za'Darius Smith. Pearce still needs to build out his 6-foot-5 frame, but his speed could make a difference in Detroit. He mixes up pass-rush moves and gets home to the QB, with 17.5 sacks over the past two seasons."

Pearce Jr. will still have plenty of opportunity to raise his stock before the draft at the NFL combine, but it does seem like the chances of him being a top five overall pick are little to none now.

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Jonathan Williams
JONATHAN WILLIAMS

Jonathan Williams is a multimedia sports journalist who graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Journalism. He has multiple years of experience in covering college football for a variety of teams