New ESPN mock Draft has Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. fully plummeting

After what he was able to get done with the Tennessee football team, James Pearce Jr. is always going to be beloved in Knoxville. The NFL is calling, though, and he’s hoping to make a strong impact at the next level. For a while now, he has felt like a first-round lock.

However, red flags have arrived on him this offseason, with character issues being a major concern. What? This has surprised a lot of Vols fans, but it’s clear that GMs out there aren’t as high on Pearce as they once were.

With the first round arriving on Thursday night, is there a chance Pearce doesn’t hear his name called? Things could turn out that way. In his new NFL Mock Draft for ESPN, Jordan Reid has the Tennessee standout falling to the second round, going No. 43 overall to the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers need edge help opposite Nick Bosa, and Pearce’s 19.0% pressure rate was second in the FBS last season,” Reid wrote. “His draft stock is all over the place, with the scouts I’ve talked to having Pearce going off the board anywhere from the late teens to the late second round.”

There was once a time where Pearce was in the conversation to be the No. 1 pick. He’s a dominant pass-rusher and the kind of playmaker that NFL teams are sure to be interested in. However, his ‘character issues’ have indeed turned a lot of people off.

Soon enough, we’ll find out where Pearce will be selected, but there’s no denying he’s a total stud on the field. In 2023, he posted an impressive 9.5 sacks, while following that up with 7.5 more this past season. Pearce was the leader on defense, helping UT reach the College Football Playoff.

Some people were holding out hope he’d return for one last season, but he’s ready to chase his pro dreams. He’s no question a first-round edge-rusher in our book, but that won’t matter if scouts and GMs don’t agree. Come Thursday night, it will be a huge shame if he doesn’t get taken off the board.