On paper, there is little not to love about University of Tennessee edge rusher and NFL draft prospect James Pearce Jr.
Pearce racked up 17.0 sacks over his final 2 college seasons, including a College Football Playoff appearance in 2024. He’s 6-foot-5, 245 pounds and ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine in February.
On paper, Pearce should be almost a no-brainer to not just be selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, but very high in the first round.
Still, few mock drafts have Pearce going before the middle to the end of the first round. D.C. sports radio host Kevin Sheehan recently put Pearce on his list of players the Washington Commanders should stay away from in the draft over off-field concerns — mostly over concerns Pearce is unprofessional and doesn’t have a very good work ethic.
“I’d be shocked if (the Commanders) take James Pearce Jr. because the biggest issue with James Pearce Jr. is the other stuff,” Sheehan said on “The Kevin Sheehan Show” on April 19. ” … the issue is, there is a narrative about James Pearce Jr. that he doesn’t love football, that his work ethic is less than stellar, that he missed some workouts in the offseason last year at Tennessee … I just don’t think Washington is going to take a player like that. Last year they tried to create a culture where everybody was a high level professional. And right now, there are questions about James Pearce Jr.’s professionalism.”
NFL Scouts Not Convinced Pearce Dedicated to Football
One NFL scout gave a damning evaluation of Pearce when asked about him by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler in his beloved “The Beast” pre-draft guide.
“I want to be convinced that (Pearce) loves this,” the scout told Brugler.
Pearce’s issues might actually end up costing him a spot in the first round. Brugler has Pearce rated as a second round pick and NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein has him projected as a borderline first round pick.
“He’ll need to improve his strength and technique as an NFL run defender,” Zierlein wrote. “Despite those concerns, Pearce’s length, twitch and rush production create a higher ceiling.”
Coming to Pearce’s Defense Before Draft
Not everyone has thrown Pearce under the bust headed into the NFL draft while his stock has plummeted.
Former Tennessee quarterback and sports radio talk show host Erik Ainge said Pearce’s perceived flaw in character is more of a result of his reticence to speak with the media.
“James Pearce doesn’t want to talk to the media,” Ainge wrote on his official X account on February 19. “Or me. Or you. Dude just wants to play football and he’s elite at it. If I’m an NFL team, sign me up for the baller that just loves football. People calling that ‘character’ issues.”
The Commanders are in desperate need of edge rushers after making the NFC Championship Game in 2024 and finishing with a 12-5 regular season record — their best season since 1991. Last year’s sacks leader, Dante Fowler Jr., signed a 1-year, $6 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys on March 14.
