James Pearce Jr.- 6 Things To Know About Eagles Draft Prospect

Edge Rusher is sure to be a need heading into the draft for the Eagles. They lost Josh Sweat to free agency, and Brandon Graham to retirement, leaving them with very little depth behind Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt. But should the Eagles take a look at James Pearce Jr in the draft?

In 2023, no one in the SEC had more sacks than James Pearce. His 13 sacks tied him for the conference lead, and only 5 players in all all the NCAA topped what he did in the SEC. He also had the 3rd most pressures in the SEC and the best pass Rush Win Rate.

How did he follow that up in 2024? With 8 Sacks (10th), 55 Pressures (2nd), and a 23.3% Pass Rush Win rate (1st). More sacks and a better Pass Rush Win Rate than the consensus best Edge Rusher in this draft, Abdul Carter.

Even in the SEC, he dominated. And he did so across multiple seasons. There is no doubt that he can hold up against good competition.

No edge Rusher at the combine ran a faster 40 time than James Pearce. 4.5 on his 1st attempt, 4.47 on his 2nd. His 10-yard split was 1.58 on the first run, and 1.56 on the second. He matched that with a 4.47 at his Pro Day. The next-best Edge Rusher ran a 4.56.

Pearce can move. The explosiveness people see on the field showed up at the Combine too. The measurements left something to be desired. He is a bit small with shorter arms than you would hope for. But no one can doubt how well he moves on the field.

Playing in the SEC, you get the chance to play some tough teams. This season Tennessee played Bama, Georgia, and in the playoffs, they took on the eventual champions Ohio State.

How did James Pearce fare vs them? Well vs Bama he took over the game. 10 pressures, 1.5 sacks, 3 run stops, and an insane 28.1% pass-rush win rate. He was getting pressure on Jalen Milroe on over 1/4 of the pass rush snaps he took. Then even though his team dropped the ball vs Ohio State, he still got 3 pressures, 3 hurries, and a couple of run stops. Bama, Georgia, and Ohio State were 3 of his highest-rated games of the season

Go back 1 year ago, when the 2024 NFL Draft ended, and people were putting out their 1st 2025 Mock Drafts. Those are always called the Way Too Early Mock Draft, and they are called that for a reason. They are lacking a whole year of data. But in those Way too early Mock Drafts, Pearce was projected to go far earlier than he is going now.

Sports Illustrated had him going 9th back in September. Bleacher Report had him going 2nd back in July. Field Yates for ESPN had him as the 2nd overall pick back in August. Jordan Reid for ESPNN had him going 4th overall in May 2024.

1 Year Ago today, James Pearce was often considered a better draft prospect than Abdul Carter, Mason Graham, and Travis Hunter. Even the people who had those players higher had Pearce in that conversation. What changed in a year? Slightly lower counting stats play a part. But there are also now some vague character concerns being thrown about.

It is important to put any character concerns in context during draft season. There are a lot of rumors that float around, and not all of them hold water. Sometimes vague complaints are just a team hoping they can get a guy to fall in the draft.

But Pearce, like Walter Nolen, has been someone targeted by "maturity" questions. To the point he had to address them when he spoke to the media at the Combine.

"They want to know the type of person that I am. They want to know that from me. They ask everybody else, but they want to know from me, too. I’m a great guy. I’m a great teammate and a great player. I’m a people person. I’ve got a good heart.”

Now obviously he is not going to come out and say that he is immature, or that he doesn't work hard enough, etc. But maybe what his thread coach had to say will hold more water.

“When a young man comes into our building, they are at varying levels of maturity. It’s our job to accelerate them as fast as we can. James has done a really good job. His football understanding grew really quickly. Developing as a man and as a person, he has done a really good job continuing that too.”- Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel

Anytime character concerns are this vague, I am always dubious. Especially when they only start to come out this close to the draft. It reeks of people hoping he falls in the draft.

The one thing that may be there, is he might be too interested in team accolades. Tennessee's Legendary DL Coach Rodney Garner was asked about James Pearce back in October, and while he did not say that Pearce is not enough of a team player, the way he answered the question could be interpreted as him suggesting James Pearce needs to be more of a team player.

"It is not always about stats. It is making sure we are doing everything within the system, within the scheme. Making sure we are executing at a high level. Like I tell the guys all the time, anytime he can put aside our personal goals, and put the team goals first, there are going to be rewards individually... I am just trying to stress that team concept, and doing things as a team, and not for individuals. But he is progressing, making strides, and heading in the right direction."

You could easily listen to that and take away that Pearce has at times been too concerned with his stats, and not with what is best for the team. But you always have to keep in mind he is 21. If the height of his character concerns is that he is sometimes a bit selfish, is that the end of the world? He is not the first 21 year old to have a selfish streak if that is the case.

There are players in this draft with actual character concerns. Domestic violence accusations, sexual assault allegations. James Pearce wanting to get sacks too much doesn't seem like that big of a deal in the face of those real issues. And Garner said that Pearce is making strides in that area already.

The talent level is potentially elite. Teams just have to decide for themselves if they think he will keep maturing, or if those slightly selfish actions will carry over. If you decide you like his character, he could be a steal at the end of the 1st round.