Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. Remains in Top Five for Latest Mock Draft

Tennessee football's James Pearce Jr. remains a top prospect for the 2025 NFL draft based on ESPN's latest mock draft.

Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. participates in a drill during a Tennessee Football fall practice, Friday, Aug. 4, 2023. / Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY

Tennessee football's James Pearce Jr. remains a top prospect for the 2025 NFL draft based on ESPN's latest mock draft.

The Tennessee Volunteers will have some headline-worthy players on both sides of the football this season, but the biggest name on the team is edge James Pearce Jr. He had a dominant season in 2023 and is looking to stack another one on top of it to ensure he is one of the first names off of the board for the 2025 NFL draft.

Pearce Jr. should have nothing to worry about according to ESPN's Matt Miller and his latest first-round NFL mock draft. Miller had Pearce Jr. going fourth overall and staying home with the Tennessee Titans. Here is what Miller wrote about the pick:

"This is a prove-it season for quarterback Will Levis as a second-year starter, but the early returns were good enough that we can forget about quarterbacks at the top of the draft for now. Instead, the Titans could land my preseason No. 1 overall player -- and an in-state prospect. At 6-foot-5 and 242 pounds, Pearce has special quickness around the edge, picking up 9.5 sacks last season. He also flashed his all-around game with a 52-yard pick-six last season. Pearce would be an instant boost opposite Harold Landry III."

Last season, Pearce Jr. racked up 14.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and 28 total tackles as a sophomore. Some outlets are claiming he is the best player in college football, and he is certainly one of, if not, the best edge defenders in the sport.

James Pearce Jr. is one of the biggest names across the great sport of college football. He's the consensus top returning defensive prospect for most analysts and was nominated to the watchlist for the Lott Trophy this preseason. The Lott Trophy is given annually to the defensive player who makes the biggest impact on their team both on and off the playing field.

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