Throughout the NFL, many team sources feel the interviews and pre-draft visits with NFL teams are more important than the workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine or pro-day. While those workouts have some value, teams base their grades on players’ college game tape. The character evaluation is also critical, and character concerns get vetted during the interviews at the Combine and on pre-draft visits. One player who needs to ace these interviews is Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. While Pearce has multiple seasons of good tape hunting the quarterback, team sources say that Pearce has significant character concerns and he is in a precarious position on draft boards.
“He’s in danger of getting dropped off our board,” said the director of player personnel for an AFC playoff team. “Granted, we are a strict team in terms of character, but we have a lot of concerns, and I think he probably isn’t a fit for us.”
Pearce was a big-time presence for the Volunteers over the past two seasons, making a lot of splash plays and producing a lot of pressure on the quarterback. In 2023, he totaled 27 tackles with 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception. In 2024, Pearce recorded 38 tackles, 7.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass batted. Multiple team sources have said that Pearce reminds them of Brian Burns coming out of Florida State. Burns was a mid first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and in my latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft I have Pearce going in that range. However, he must do well in his interviews to keep teams from dropping him from their boards in the weeks to come. That could cause a huge slide for Pearce in the 2025 NFL Draft.
