First round (26th overall): James Pearce Jr.
Age: 21. Height: 6-5. Weight: 245. Arms: 32¾ inches. Hands: 10 inches. 40-yard dash: 4.47 seconds. 10-yard split: 1.56 seconds. Vertical: 31 inches. Broad jump: 10 feet, 3 inches. Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina.
Overview: He was the fastest defensive end/outside linebacker at the scouting combine. His game is built around speed and working the perimeter of the pass protection. He had a whopping 55 pressures last season. He was named first-team All-SEC. “He had the highest pressure rate in football,” Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said. The Falcons met with Pearce and his mother.
Pro Football Network NFL draft analyst Ian Cummings: “You can agree or disagree with how they’re approaching it, but give the Falcons credit: At the very least, they’re hitting the edge rush, and they’re hitting it hard in the 2025 NFL draft. They used their first Round 1 pick on Jalon Walker, and soon after, they traded back into Round 1 to select James Pearce Jr.
“As a pure pass-rusher, Pearce was one of the most prolific producers in college football over the past two seasons. Next to Abdul Carter, Pearce’s first-step explosiveness is the most dynamic in the class. Combined with that burst, he has elite agility and twitch, and he can channel speed to power with his explosiveness and length.“
Outside of the pass-rush phase, however — and even within it — there are concerns. Pearce doesn’t have an elite bend component, his proportional length is closer to average than elite, and he’s lighter than preferred. His run-defense utility is minimal, and an EDGE duo of Walker and Pearce could be washed out more often than not. Add in Pearce’s rumored coachability issues and the loss of a 2026 first-round pick, and this might be too much uncertainty and risk.”
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
