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

Here is our scouting report on James Pearce Jr. from Tennessee

We continue our 2025 NFL Draft preview of draft prospects that could interest the Dallas Cowboys. Today we are looking at edge rusher James Pearce Jr. from Tennessee.

James Pearce Jr.

DE/OLB
Tennessee Volunteers
Junior
4-star recruit
6’5”
212 lbs

History

James Pearce Jr. attended Julius L. Chambers High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was a four-star recruit after his impressive senior year where he recorded 14.5 sacks. His recruitment was somewhat unheralded until late in the process, but he received offers from several prestigious programs before committing to Tennessee.

As a true freshman, Pearce Jr. appeared in 13 games mostly in a reserve capacity, rotating in but credited with three starts. He showed flashes of potential with two sacks and two tackles for loss. His sophomore season saw a significant jump in performance, leading the SEC in sacks with 10 and ranking second in tackles for loss (15). He also made one interception which he returned for a touchdown, showing off his unbelievable athleticism on the play. His notable achievements included being named to the All-SEC First Team.

Last season, Pearce continued his impressive trajectory, recording 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and leading Tennessee in pressures with 55. His performance helped Tennessee reach the College Football Playoff for the first time. He was again honored with first-team All-SEC accolades and was a semifinalist for Bednarik award. Even though he had a productive season there was clear issue between him and the coaches in the way they utilized the elite pass rusher..

2024 Statistics

464 Defensive Snaps
38 Total Tackles
13 Tackles For Loss
55 Total Pressures
8 Sacks
1 Forced Fumble
1 Fumble Recovery
5 Penalties

NFL Combine/Pro Day

TBC

Awards

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

Scorecard

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

THE GOOD

• He possesses exceptional speed and acceleration off the edge, making him a formidable presence in pass-rushing situations.
• His burst off the line is the best in this year’s draft class
• His burst combined with exceptional snap anticipation makes him the first guy in the backfield on a regular basis.
• Elite as a speed rusher and has a solid spin move.
• Clearly a high motor player.
• Can play both as a stand-up linebacker in the two-point and with his hand in the dirt, showing flexibility in defensive schemes.

THE BAD

• Undersized for the position.
• He sometimes struggles to disengage from blockers in the run game, leading to missed tackles or being taken out of plays.
• Doesn’t have a wide range of pass rush moves at his disposal.
• While generally a good tackler, his technique can occasionally falter, particularly in open-field situations where he might miss or not wrap up securely.
• His run defense needs some refinement.
• While...