Patriots Expected to Land Tennessee Superstar With First Pick

The New England Patriots are being projected to land a Tennessee star with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) runs during a football game between Tennessee and Chattanooga at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, August 31, 2024. / Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

The New England Patriots are not expected to win a lot of games this season. Most fans have accepted that reality and understand that it will take a couple of years to get back into contention.

As the Patriots head into a rebuild, they will need to make sure to hit on each and every one of their high draft picks for the next couple of years. Some are projecting that New England will have a huge opportunity to do just that in the 2025 NFL Draft by getting the No. 1 overall pick.

CBS Sports has released a new mock draft and have projected the Patriots to pick at No. 1. They believe that New England would pick up Tennessee Volunteers star James Pearce Jr. with that selection.

"Pearce has the goods to be a first overall selection as an edge rusher. He's long, super-bendy, and plays with ridiculous burst off the line of scrimmage. Plus, there's clearly room to add weight to his frame and still isn't 21 years old."

Standing in at 6-foot-5 and nearly 250 pounds, Pearce combines great strength and size with elite athleticism. He has the potential to become one of the top pass-rushers in the NFL in a few years.

During the 2023 college football season with Tennessee, Pearce racked up 24 total tackles to go along with 8.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

Those numbers show a glimpse at the amount of potential that Pearce possesses for the future.

While getting the No. 1 overall pick would result from being the worst team in the NFL this season, it would give the Patriots a legitimate chance to improve their defense. After trading Matt Judon, New England will need to find a new star pass-rusher.

Pearce would be a dream scenario for the team's defense.

All of that being said, we're still way too far out to know what the 2025 NFL Draft order will look like. However, if the Patriots do get the No. 1 pick, Pearce looks to be a very likely target.

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