Former Tennessee standout James Pearce entered this week’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis with his stock trending down, in part due to reported “character concerns.”
But Pearce is doing a strong job of improving his draft stock at this week’s combine as he posted some gaudy numbers in multiple events.
Pearce was most impressive running the 40-yard dash where he posted an insane 4.47 time. A sub 4.50 40-yard dash is extremely impressive and nearly unheard of for a defensive lineman. The 6-foot-5, 243-pound pass rusher’s 40-time was the best amongst defensive linemen with Collin Oliver’s 4.56 40-yard dash time being the next best.
The Tennessee edge rusher’s 40-yard dash time would have been the second best amongst linebackers with only UCLA’s Kain Medrano (4.46) posting a slightly better time.
Pearce also posted the best 10-yard split time amongst defensive linemen with a 1.56 time. Oliver posted the second best defensive lineman time at 1.57 and Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart posted a 1.58 time.
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In the first 2025 NFL mock drafts, Pearce was a near unanimous top five pick with a number of draft experts projecting Pearce to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
But now Pearce is projected as a low first round pick with some mock drafts projecting him to fall all the way to the second round of May’s draft.
In his junior season, Pearce recorded 38 tackles, 7.5 sacks and one forced fumble. While his sack numbers were down from his sophomore season when he totaled 9.5 sacks, Pearce still led the SEC in pressures during the 2024 season. Pearce also made one of the biggest plays of Tennessee’s season when he stripped Florida quarterback Graham Mertz at the goal line on a quarterback sneak.
Pearce is one of six Tennessee players at the NFL Combine this week in Indianapolis. The 2025 NFL Draft runs from Thursday, April 24 to Saturday, April 26.
