ESPN analyst explains the rare holy trinity of draft features that Vols' standout possesses

Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce, Jr. has been getting all kinds of love from draft pundits in way-too-early mock drafts for 2025.  

It appears you can add a well-known name to the growing list of those who see Pearce as a very lofty draft pick next April. 

ESPN draft analyst and insider Matt Miller joined the Ramon, Kayla, and Will Show on 104.5 FM The Zone on Friday, and he said the Vols have a defender this year that would have been the first taken by NFL teams in last week's draft. 

"The first step quickness is phenomenal.  The ability to bend.  I had one scout tell me he would have been the first defensive player drafted this year.  He would have gone ahead of Laiatu Latu.  He would have gone ahead of Byron Murphy, Dallas Turner.  All of them.  He was that good.  

"Everything that he does gets you pretty excited.  Again, it's the quickness.  It's the motor.  The energy that he plays with is ideal.  And he does that, you know, the high-end athleticism, the high-end motor.  And then you get elite production in the SEC.  Finding those three things together is pretty hard.  A lot of times we'll see a guy [with] elite athleticism, but terrible motor.  Or elite athleticism, but the production is not there.  Chop Robinson, the guy has six sacks in college, but he runs like a 4.38 [40-yard dash].

"With Pierce, you get that elite athleticism and the fact that he has double digit sacks, and his pressure rate last year was over 21 percent, which was top five in all of college football.  So, you're really getting the total package when it comes to James Pearce." - Matt Miller, ESPN

Miller's example of Robinson is a good one.  There can be players who have the athleticism but need more coaching to improve their pass rush technique in order to be productive against the best at the next level.  Travon Walker of the Jaguars is another example, who was drafted first overall in 2022 largely because of insane, off the charts Combine numbers showcasing his athleticism. 

However, Pearce provides something that should give scouts and general managers a lot more reason to breathe easy and justify spending an extremely high pick on the Tennessee standout, and that's production, as Miller mentioned.  It's not one where you have to justify the pick and say we think he has the athletic upside and potential to get there.  Pearce has already been showcasing that in football's toughest conference.  

Pearce is primed for a life-changing season for the Vols in 2024.  A repeat (or better) of 2023, and there's little doubt the standout will hear his name called early on Thursday night of the 2025 Draft.  

And that would likely mean very good things for Tennessee and its defense this upcoming season.