FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- A.J. Terrell seemed almost taken aback.
Though it dominated the pre- and post-draft conversation about James Pearce Jr., Terrell had no clue Pearce faced intense questioning about his character -- so much that several teams reportedly took Pearce off their draft board.
But Terrell, the Atlanta Falcons' longest-tenured defensive player and a former second-team All-Pro cornerback, has seen no signs of the baggage that followed Pearce, at least externally, from the University of Tennessee to the NFL.
"Cool dude," Terrell said. "Mature and just wants to play ball."
Pearce, the 26th overall pick in April's draft and an outside linebacker the Falcons hope will be a driving force behind an improved pass rush, is more than Terrell's defensive teammate and locker neighbor.
He's also, in a sense, Terrell's mini-me.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris doesn't often try to facilitate relationships on his team, but he offers suggestions when he sees fit. Morris acknowledged he did it last season with then-rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and veteran safety Jessie Bates III, putting their lockers next to each other.
Morris did it again this year with Pearce and Terrell. They're vastly different in size -- Pearce is 6' 5" and 243 pounds, a stark contrast to the 6' 1", 200-pound Terrell -- and position responsibilities, but Morris sees innate similarities in their personality.
"That was definitely something I suggested because they remind me -- they're a different position, obviously, different body type, all that type of stuff -- but the personalities, demeanors," Morris said. "I remember A.J. came in and was just a really serious rookie when I had him, and James is a really serious rookie.
"You're going to be hard-pressed to get a smile out of him until he knows you. I kind of thought they had similar traits and similar things that I felt like, 'Hey, that would be a nice guy for you to kind of talk to.'"
Morris is right. When Pearce walked into the Falcons' Jimmy Cribb Press Room for his introductory news conference April 25, the day after he was drafted, he told photographers he needed to hear a joke to smile for their pictures.
Back to business, Pearce took Morris's advice and found a mentor well-suited to his needs. Terrell, who the Falcons selected 16th overall in 2020, remembers being in Pearce's shoes as a highly touted first-round draft pick. He knows the internal desire to fit in with teammates inside the locker room.
Now, Terrell, a 26-year-old who's coming into his own as a team leader, is trying to impart five years of NFL wisdom to Pearce with hopes of easing his transition.
"Coming in as a rookie, you're trying to fit in with the locker room. But I feel like Day 1 with James, it was always love out the gate," Terrell said. "You know the type of -- I don't want to say pressure -- but the mindset of a rookie, coming in, you're just trying to come in and set your foundation and things like that.
"Being drafted so high, you feel like everybody expects you to do certain things, but you can still be yourself. Like, it's an open locker room where you can -- ain't nothing for us. Just continue to be you, and you will strive."
Terrell's rookie season came under different circumstances. He entered the NFL in 2020, when OTAs and minicamp were moved to virtual learning sessions and the preseason was cancelled due to COVID-19. Terrell didn't take part in an NFL practice until August of 2020.
Pearce has a much more traditional transition. But the differences of their acclimation process aside, Terrell sees similarities in Pearce's approach.
"Coming in, he's not a big rah-rah guy, nothing like that. But leading by example, just coming in, trying to make his presence felt," Terrell said. "That's kind of how when I came in, it was just more so taking a role of accountability. Coming out here, playing at a high level, trying to do right, make minimal mistakes and just produce early."
Apart from missing two games due to COVID-19, Terrell started all 14 appearances as a rookie in 2020. He made 74 tackles, defended seven passes, forced three fumbles and recorded one interception.
Terrell is a self-proclaimed fast learner, and he proved it on debut. He believes Pearce is similarly wired.
"Just coming in, trying to prove ourselves. The most we relate as far as, like, just with the head-down work mentality," Terrell said. "Just wanting to come in and try to find a way to make an impact early. And I know that's what he wants to do."
The Falcons' secondary has four rookies in it, including two -- third-round safety Xavier Watts and fourth-round nickel Billy Bowman III -- who could see extensive playing time this fall.
But Terrell currently knows more about Pearce than any of his secondary mates. Their locker room conversations vary from the happenings of their day to any of Pearce's problems from back home, which Terrell jokingly said he can't delve deeper into.
Atlanta's rookie class hasn't yet broken out of its collective shell, but there have been glimpses of personality. Terrell believes Pearce's will be the first to emerge.
The same Pearce who the Falcons' brass flew to North Carolina to visit the day before the NFL draft and, according to The Athletic, faced concerns from teams about his on-field drive, attitude and maturity is still only a month and a half into his professional journey.
But at least in the All-Pro eyes of Terrell, Pearce is far from the person the pre-draft process made him out to be.
"He's about his business," Terrell said.