James Pearce Jr. terrorized SEC offenses with his speed off of the edge of Tennessee’s defensive line the last three years.

The Vols’ highly touted edge rusher put that speed on full display at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Thursday, joining some elite company in the process.

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The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Pearce recorded a 4.47 second finish in the 40-yard dash, the fastest among defensive linemen at the combine.

The next fastest was Syracuse edge Fadil Diggs at 4.57 seconds.

Pearce’s name is among a familiar one in the eight fastest 40 times by defensive linemen at the combine on record.

He joins former Tennessee edge and teammate Byron Young, who turned in a 4.43 time at the 2023 combine before being taken by the Los Angeles Rams as the 77th overall pick in the third round of the NFL Draft that year.

Young’s time remains the second fastest by a defensive lineman on record.

Pearce made a name for himself as a freshman on the Vols’ defensive line behind Young in 2022, appearing in 13 games and accounting for two tackles for loss and two sacks.

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After Young left for the NFL, Pearce was featured heavily in the rotation, totaling 28 tackles, 14.5 TFL, 10 sacks and one interception return for a touchdown in a First Team All-SEC campaign in 2023.

Prior to his junior season, Pearce shot up the mock draft boards. He had 13 TFL and 7.5 sacks during Tennessee’s first-ever run to the College Football Playoff.

“Pearce is a tight-hipped, linear pass rusher with explosive take-offs and good speed-to-power but a lack of bend to flatten at the top,” NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. “His high pressure rate is partially derived from an instinctive feel for positioning, allowing him to work around protection for quick wins into the pocket. He’s very long but narrow through his hips, so the build-out of his frame might be limited. Pearce knows how to play around blocks and has the speed to close and tackle, but his base is naturally narrow and lacks bend.

“He’ll need to improve his strength and technique as an NFL run defender. Despite those concerns, Pearce’s length, twitch and rush production create a higher ceiling.”

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