Pearce, the 26th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, recorded 26 total tackles, 16 quarterback hits, 10 tackles for loss, five pass deflections, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery for a Falcons team that finished 8-9. He racked up 10.5 sacks, the most by any rookie since Micah Parsons in 2021.
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The 6-foot-5, 245-pound star was joined by Falcons teammate and defensive back Xavier Watts; New York Giants pass running back Abdul Carter; Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger; and Seattle Seahawks defensive back Nick Emmanwori as finalists for the award. Winners will be announced during the NFL Honors ceremony on February 5.
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Pearce was a 2022 247Sports Composite four-star defensive line prospect out of Charlotte, North Carolina. He played in all 13 of Tennessee’s games as a freshman and started three of the Vols’ 13 games in 2023. As a junior in 2024, Pearce was a semifinalist for the Bednarik, Lombardi and Walter Camp Player of the Year awards after accumulating 38 total tackles, 23 solo, 13 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and 10 QB hurries. He ranked 10th in the SEC in both tackles for loss and sacks in 2024.
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He was the 26th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after earning back-to-back All SEC honors in 2023 and 2024. He was the 48th first-round pick in Tennessee history.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared in the Knoxville News Sentinel: Former Tennessee DE James Pearce Jr. Named NFL Rookie of the Year Finalist