Tennessee Volunteers coach Josh Heupel Decline a deal of $96 million to move Alabama Crimson Tide key player after

James Pearce Jr., an edge rusher for Tennessee football, is among the best players in college

football this year. In ESPN’s most recent 2025 NFL Mock Draft, he is still ranked in the top five and

has been predicted as high as the first overall draft choice.

In his revised 2025 mock draft, NFL Draft Analyst Matt Miller projects the Vols edge rusher to

choose in the in-state round of the next year’s draft.

The Tennessee Titans are predicted by Miller to choose Pearce with the fourth overall pick. As the

first week of the 2024 season approaches, this prediction regarding the Titans’ season in year two of

the Will Levis era and the excitement around Pearce is telling.

“This is a prove-it season for quarterback Will Levis as a second-year starter, but the early returns

were good enough that we can forget about quarterbacks at the top of the draft for now,” says

Miller. Alternatively, the Titans may get an in-state talent who is my preseason No. 1 overall pick.

Pearce, who is 6-foot-5 and 242 pounds, has exceptional quickness around the edge; in the previous

season, he picked up 9.5 sacks. Last season, he also demonstrated his versatility with a 52-yard

pick-six. Pearce would be Harold Landry III’s first opponent.”

Prior to the 2024 season, Pearce is the only Volt expected to be selected in the first round in the

next year’s draft. This year, Tennessee’s main players will include a large number of seniors and

players eligible for the draft.

Throughout the season, the Vols may also see players like John Campbell, Cooper Mays, Keenan

Pili, and Dont’e Thornton Jr. rise up the draft boards.

Will the Vols be selecting again in the first round of the draft the following year? Tennessee’s season

opens in Neyland Stadium on August 31 versus Chattanooga. The SEC opener is scheduled for

September 21 against Oklahoma.