James Pearce Jr. during Tennessee Pro Day 2025, at University of Tennessee, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

James Pearce Addresses Predraft Criticisms

Originally posted on Tennessee Volunteers on SI
By Evan Crowell | Last updated Mar 12, 2025 3:30 PM ET

Tennessee Volunteers edge rusher James Pearce Jr. spoke with media after his pro day to discuss recent criticisms of him ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.

The NFL Draft process varies for each prospect. It's a roller-coaster of emotions for these young men who will have people fall in love with their games and personas, just as some prospects will be torn down in the pre-draft process. Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. is dealing with the latter, as there were questions about his game coming into Tennessee's pro day.

Several murmurs behind the scenes have caused Pearce to slide out of the first-round of several mock drafts. This has been a surprising process for Pearce, who was considered the top defensive prospect in the country entering this past college football season. Several NFL insiders have reported teams are wary of "character concerns" with Pearce ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Pearce spoke about these recent developments during his media availability on Tuesday at Tennessee's Pro Day. "I'm a great guy. I'm a great teammate, a great player," Pearce said. "I'm a people person. I've got a good heart."

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel endorsed Pearce: "James has done a really good job. The football understanding grew really quickly and has continued to grow, developing as a man, as a person." We'll see if these perceived issues cause Pearce to drop out of the first round, but the two-time All-SEC prospect is confident in his abilities.

"I’ll just keep showing that I’m the best edge [rusher] and the best defender in this draft," Pearce told reporters on Tuesday. He amassed 71 tackles, 30 for loss, 19.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and an interception during his three-year career with the Volunteers.