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Where James Pearce Jr. Lands in Bleacher Report's Latest Mock Draft

Tennessee Volunteers edge rusher James Pearce Jr. found an interesting home in Bleacher Report's latest mock for the 2025 NFL Draft.

The 2025 NFL Draft sits just weeks away. The Tennessee Volunteers have several alumni expected to come off the board, tops among them edge rusher James Pearce Jr. The anchor of the Volunteers' defense over the past two seasons is a first-round hopeful who has had a tumultuous predraft process.

Pearce dealt with "character concern" reports during and after the NFL Combine in March. Several other edge rushers shot up draft boards after athletic testing, pushing Pearce down the board across the draft community. He remains a first-round mainstay and will hope that dream becomes a reality on April 25.

Earlier this week, ESPN insider Jordan Reid released a column outlining a fit for each NFL team outside the first round. He highlighted Pearce as an ideal fit for the Cincinnati Bengals should he get past day one of the draft, meaning not all are comfortable to pen him into one of the first 32 slots. However, Bleacher Reports' draft department released an updated first-round mock draft on Tuesday, and they had Pearce at the tail end of day one.

B/R draft analyst Brent Sobleski had Pearce off the board to the Washington Commanders at No. 29 overall. The Commanders are fresh off one of their most exciting seasons in franchise history. They made the NFC Championship game behind the dynamic play of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who figures to be one of the biggest names in the sport for the foreseeable future.

A young quarterback's best friend can be his defense, though, and Daniels didn't have much of one in 2024. Washington lost some talented defenders in free agency this offseason and already didn't have an inspiring nucleus of pass rushers. Pearce would inject young, raw talent into a scheme that maximizes what speed rushers can do.

"Dan Quinn benefited greatly from having Micah Parsons on the roster when he served as the Dallas Cowboys' defensive coordinator, but he doesn't have a pass-rusher anywhere close to that level on the Washington Commanders defense," Sobelski explained.

"Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. has the upside of an elite edge-rusher if he puts everything together. The Commanders could use some help off the edge, especially since Clelin Ferrell has been more of a run defender throughout his career. Ferrell and Pearce complement each other well, as the latter is an impressive athlete who can put pressure on the quarterback but struggles to hold his ground against the run."

Pearce logged 71 tackles, 30 for loss, and 19.5 sacks during his three seasons as a Tennessee Volunteer. He also had three forced fumbles and an interception returned for a touchdown. Pearce earned consensus first-team All-SEC honors in 2023. In 2024, he earned second-team honors from the Associated Press and first-team honors from the coaches.