It seems likely that the Green Bay Packers will be looking to add some pass rushing help during the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. After not addressing that need at all during free agency, there are plenty of intriguing options the team could take a look at when the draft begins on April 24.
Right now, the Packers hold the No. 23 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. With that pick, there are a few elite edge rushers projected to be available.
Jeff Hafley helped Green Bay’s defense take a big step forward in 2024. The unit played much better as a whole than it had under Joe Barry. However, the need for a better pass rush was clear throughout the season.
With that in mind, a new prediction has been made that would see the Packers land a major pass-rushing threat in the first round of the draft.
Green Bay Packers Predicted to Land Dangerous 19.5-Sack Threat
Bill Huber of On SI has predicted that James Pearce Jr. will be the pick in the first round for Green Bay. At one point in time, he was projected to be a top-10 pick, but he has fallen off since then a bit.
Despite the fall-off in projected draft stock, Pearce still has the talent to be an elite player at the NFL level.
“If Gutekunst is looking for a change of pace on the edge, he could not do much better than Pearce,” Huber wrote.
During the 2024 college football season with the Tennessee Volunteers, Pearce racked up 38 total tackles to go along with 7.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a defended pass. Throughout his three-year college career, he totaled 71 tackles, 19.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, an interception, a defensive touchdown, and two defended passes.
Standing in at 6-foot-5 and nearly 245 pounds, Pearce has NFL-ready size. He has elite athleticism and speed to go along with his size.
This is exactly the kind of addition that the Packers’ defense needs to take the next step. If he’s there at No. 23, Green Bay should strongly consider taking him.