Former Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. is waiting to find out which team will select him in the 2025 NFL draft.
The NFL draft will take place April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Ahead of the NFL draft, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA TODAY Sports named the 10 biggest boom-or-bust prospects, and who could be the riskiest picks.
Pearce Jr. is ranked No. 8 by Middlehurst-Schwartz.
"A fixture of way-too-early mock drafts one year ago, Pearce now might be teetering on the edge of the first round," Middlehurst-Schwartz said. "What happened? The 6-5, 245-pounder hardly disappointed last season, notching his second consecutive first-team All-Southeastern Conference honor after tallying 13 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Rather, Pearce's final showings only underscored the ways in which he would come to be seen as a polarizing prospect for teams."
Pearce Jr. totaled 71 tackles, 29.5 tackles for a loss, 19.5 sacks, one interception, one touchdown, three pass deflections, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery from 2022-24 at Tennessee.
This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: James Pearce Jr. named as one of 10 biggest boom-or-bust prospects
