Exclusive:2025 NFL Draft Prospect Profile James Pearce Jr

Since it’s never too early to look forward to the NFL Draft, this weekly series will take a closer look at some of the prospects the Carolina Panthers could select in the 2025 iteration of the Draft. In this series, we’ll only be looking at prospects the Panthers could seriously consider. For example, we won’t be looking at any of the top quarterback prospects in the hope that the team won’t be in the market for a franchise guy come April. This week, our profile will focus on Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr.

Pearce is a local kid who grew up in Charlotte. At 6’5″, 243 lbs, he definitely has the prototypical size for an edge defender regardless of the defensive front. The Panthers currently employ a 3-4 base, but Pearce could fit in a 4-3 as well. While at Julius L Chambers High in Charlotte, he was a little overlooked, only garnering a three star rating from most recruiting experts. Pearce ended up selecting to play for the Vols over more prominent powerhouses like Georgia and Oklahoma. He showed flashes his freshman season as a rotational pass rusher and special teams contributor, but broke out in his sophomore season last year.

He was absolutely dominant rushing the passer as evidenced by his 28 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and 52 quarterback pressures. A similar or even better junior season would likely see Pearce taken at the very top of the Draft come April.

It’s Pearce’s athleticism that really jumps off the tape. He’s incredibly fast off the line, has the bend to get around blockers without losing speed, has the lateral agility to adjust mid rush, and does a great job of using his length and closing speed to finish off sacks. He also is fairly refined as a pass rusher for such a young prospect. He has multiple pass rushing moves in his repertoire and is comfortable deploying each of them at any point. While he will need to get a little stronger, especially in the lower body, and better against the run, Pearce has the potential to be an absolute force in the NFL.

If the Panthers can pair his pass rushing with Derrick Brown’s run stuffing, they might have something special.

If the Panthers do find themselves in position to take Pearce in the 2025 Draft, would you want the team to take him? Sound off in the comments below