Saints Held Private Workout With Game-Breaker

The New Orleans Saints aren't leaving any stone unturned right now.

New Orleans has the No. 9 pick in the upcoming National Football League Draft and has been busy attending Pro Days and meeting with some of the top prospects in this draft class. Like every other team, the Saints have met with plenty of players so far. Ranging from meetings, to dinners, to workouts, the Saints have been everywhere. A few guys who have reportedly met with or had dinner with the Saints so far are Ashton Jeanty, Jaxson Dart, and Kyle McCord among plenty others.

One guy who reportedly had a private workout with the Saints is Tennessee game-breaker James Pearce Jr., according to NewOrleans.Football's Nick Underhill.

"The Saints conducted a private workout with Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce and safety Will Brooks this week, according to sources," Underhill said.

Of the two listed here, Pearce is the one who stands out the most. He's currently ranked as the No. 16 overall prospect in this draft class by ESPN. He's ranked as the fourth-overall EDGE in the 2025 NFL Draft class by ESPN.

He played three seasons at Tennessee and racked up 19.5 sacks over that stretch. He had 7.5 sacks in 2024 across 13 games played. In 2023, he had 10 sacks across 13 games played. In 2022, he played in just three games and had two sacks.

Pearce is a 21-year-old game-breaker who certainly could help a Saints defense that needs a boost. Over the next month, there's going to be a lot of chatter about the Saints' draft plans. New Orleans didn't have the season it wanted to have in 2024, but at least it will be able to add a high-end talent at No. 9. Maybe the Saints' selection could even be Pearce. We won't know for roughly a month.

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