Dallas Cowboys 2025 draft scouting report: DE James Pearce Jr.

We proceed our 2025 NFL Draft preview of draft prospects that might curiosity the Dallas Cowboys. At present we’re edge rusher James Pearce Jr. from Tennessee.

James Pearce Jr.

DE/OLBTennessee Volunteers Junior4-star recruit 6’5”242 lbs

Picture by Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photos

Historical past

James Pearce Jr. attended Julius L. Chambers Excessive College in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was a four-star recruit after his spectacular senior yr the place he recorded 14.5 sacks. His recruitment was considerably unheralded till late within the course of, however he obtained provides from a number of prestigious packages earlier than committing to Tennessee.

As a real freshman, Pearce Jr. appeared in 13 video games principally in a reserve capability, rotating in however credited with three begins. He confirmed flashes of potential with two sacks and two tackles for loss. His sophomore season noticed a major soar in efficiency, main the SEC in sacks with 10 and rating second in tackles for loss (15). He additionally made one interception which he returned for a landing, exhibiting off his unbelievable athleticism on the play. His notable achievements included being named to the All-SEC First Crew.

Final season, Pearce continued his spectacular trajectory, recording 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and main Tennessee in pressures with 55. His efficiency helped Tennessee attain the School Soccer Playoff for the primary time. He was once more honored with first-team All-SEC accolades and was a semifinalist for Bednarik award. Although he had a productive season there was clear difficulty between him and the coaches in the way in which they utilized the elite go rusher..

2024 Statistics

464 Defensive Snaps38 Complete Tackles13 Tackles For Loss55 Complete Pressures 8 Sacks1 Pressured Fumble1 Fumble Recovery5 Penalties

NFL Mix/Professional Day

TBC

Awards

First-team All-SEC (2024)First-team All-SEC (2023)

Scorecard

Total- 89.1Speed- 86Acceleration- 97Agility- 86Strength- 82Pass Rush- 88Run Protection- 86Tackling- 81Discipline- 98

THE GOOD

He possesses distinctive pace and acceleration off the sting, making him a formidable presence in pass-rushing conditions.
His go off the road is the very best on this yr’s draft class
His burst mixed with distinctive snap anticipation makes him the primary man within the backfield frequently.
Elite as a pace rusher and has a strong spin transfer.
Clearly a excessive motor participant.
Can play each as a stand-up linebacker within the two-point and along with his hand within the filth, exhibiting flexibility in defensive schemes.

THE BAD

Undersized for the place.
He generally struggles to disengage from blockers within the run recreation, resulting in missed tackles or being taken out of performs.
Doesn’t have a variety of go rush strikes at his disposal.
Whereas usually a very good tackler, his approach can sometimes falter, notably in open-field conditions the place he may miss or not wrap up securely.
His run protection wants some refinement.
Whereas he has good power for his place, he may benefit from additional growth to deal with NFL-level offensive linemen extra persistently.

THE FIT

James Pearce Jr. is seen as a high-upside edge rusher with the potential to become an NFL high-caliber starter. His mixture of pace, agility, and a continuous motor makes him an thrilling prospect, although he’ll must work on his power and run protection to be absolutely efficient on the subsequent stage. His efficiency at Tennessee has been marked by important progress, suggesting he might proceed to quickly develop with the proper teaching.

How he would slot in Dallas is an important consideration. His quickness and bend may very well be utilized successfully. The synergy between Pearce and Micah Parsons can be wildly important. Parsons’ potential to attract double- and triple-teams means Pearce might usually go one-on-one with tackles, leveraging his pace to his benefit.

If Pearce is offered within the first around the Cowboys may contemplate him, particularly in the event that they prioritize line of defense within the draft. His worth may very well be seen as a high-reward decide in the event that they consider in his developmental potential. Pearce can be an thrilling prospect for the Cowboys, notably to bolster their go rush given the shortage of depth on the place for the upcoming season. His athletic items align make him a tantalizing prospect, however his growth in run protection and power can be key to his instant impression.

COMPARISON

Brian Burns, New York Giants

BTB GRADE

tenth

CONSENSUS RANKING

14th(Consensus rating based mostly on the common rating from 90 main scoring providers)