Tennessee star James Pearce Jr. falls to Panthers in 2025 NFL mock draft

The Carolina Panthers grab a pass rusher in latest mock draft.

Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

The 2025 NFL Draft is a long way away, but it's never too early to start looking at who the Carolina Panthers could take with their first-round pick, especially after a year when the organization didn't have a first-rounder until they traded up on draft night.

In the latest mock draft by Cory Kinnan of NFL Draft On SI, he has the Panthers lucking out with Tennessee pass rusher James Pearce Jr. falling to them at No. 6.

"The Panthers have to find a quarterback, or maybe they are committed to Bryce Young despite his benching. Anyway, the Panthers are not in a position to bring another rookie quarterback into their building. Instead, they must look to add to premium positions. After trading Brian Burns to the Giants this offseason, they now replace him with Tennessee's tantalizing pass rusher James Pearce Jr. He didn't play a ton of snaps early in the season but turned it on against Oklahoma with six pressures and one sack."

Pearce had a breakout season in 2023 tallying 28 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks. In four games this fall, Pearce hasn't been nearly as productive but water has its way of finding level. He's too talented to be bottled up all year long and the Panthers desperately need a young presence off the edge.

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