National outlet pegs simple reason why former Tennessee Vols DE James Pearce, Jr. could have a significant impact with the Atlanta Falcons

Former Tennessee Vol and current Atlanta Falcons edge rusher James Pearce, Jr. was a player who was a bit polarizing among draft analysts ahead of last month’s NFL Draft.  Everyone saw his talent as a pass rusher, but some had questions ranging from his run stopping ability to alleged off field/character concerns (despite only one incident taking place during his time in Knoxville).

As Pearce, Jr.’s name slid towards the end of the draft, the Atlanta Falcons made a big move to go get him, trading back into the first round with the Los Angeles Rams to take Pearce, Jr. with the 26th pick.  Atlanta forked over a 2026 first round pick as part of the trade compensation.

So what did the Falcons see that perhaps others didn’t in believing Pearce, Jr. to be worth the move?  Exactly what Pro Football Focus pointed out this week in listing Pearce, Jr. – not 15th overall pick OLB Jalon Walker – as the Falcons’ biggest impact offseason acquisition in 2025: his success as a pass rusher in the SEC over the last two years.

This is what PFF had to say about Pearce, Jr.:

Key Metric: 22.4% pressure rate since 2023 (highest among FBS EDs, min. 200 pass rush snaps)

The Falcons tied for the second-worst pass-rush grade as a team in 2024 and went into the 2024 draft determined to change that. After selecting Jalon Walker with the 15th overall pick, they doubled down by trading back into the first round to select Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr.. Among FBS edge defenders with at least 200 pass-rush reps over the past two seasons, Pearce led the group with a 22.4% pressure rate and ranked fourth with a 92.4 pass-rush grade. – Dalton Wasserman, Pro Football Focus