Tennessee football has had its first player taken off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Vols edge rusher James Pearce Jr. was selected in the first round with the No. 26 overall pick by Falcons.

This is the highest a Tennessee player has been selected since Darnell Wright went 10th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Pearce is coming off his true junior season after a standout three-year career with the Vols.

As a junior, Pearce recorded 38 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He defended one pass and forced a fumble at the goal line against Florida in a game Tennessee ultimately won in overtime.

For this season, he was named a First Team All-SEC member by the league's coaches.

His best statistical collegiate season came as a sophomore. That year, he produced 28 tackles with 14.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. He also returned an interception for a touchdown in the Citrus Bowl win over Iowa. He forced a pair of fumbles that season.

Pearce was a First Team All-SEC member according to both coaches and AP.

As a freshman, Pearce played in all 13 games. He recorded five tackles, two tackles for loss and two sacks.

Throughout his three seasons, Pearce never lost to rivals Alabama or Florida at home. He also was a part of bowl wins over Clemson in the Orange Bowl and Iowa in the Citrus Bowl.

He competed in the Vols' first ever playoff game in the loss to Ohio State, who went on to win the national championship.

Pearce was a four-star recruit out of high school. He is from Charlotte, North Carolina where he played his prep ball at Chambers.

He was the No. 160 player in the class, No. 5 player out of the state and No. 10 weak-side defensive end in the cycle.

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