Tennessee football star edge rusher James Pearce Jr. is already drawing high praise heading into the 2024 college football season.

Following the conclusion of the 2024 NFL Draft, some pundits have already begun predicting what the 2025 NFL Draft could look like with way-too-early mock drafts. A common theme for at least a couple of mock drafts has been the selection of Pearce as the No. 1 overall pick. The last No. 1 pick for the Volunteers was quarterback Peyton Manning in 1998.

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Pro Football Focus and 247Sports mock drafts have Pearce, a rising junior, as the No. 1 overall pick. It would be quite the departure from the 2024 draft, which saw the first defensive player not taken until No. 15 overall and just a total of nine in the first round.

Running back Jaylen Wright (third round, Miami Dolphins) quarterback Joe Milton (sixth round, New England Patriots) and cornerback Kamal Hadden (sixth round, Kansas City Chiefs) were the three Volunteers selected in the draft this past weekend.

Pearce earned 2023 All-SEC First Team honors from the AP and Coaches for his performance last season. Here's what you need to know about Pearce as the potential top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft:

Pro Football Focus 2025 mock draft

Outside of Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and Colorado defensive back Travis Hunter, Pearce had the most mocks with him being selected first overall. The latest was the PFF mock, which was released Monday morning. The analytical football site also has the 6-foot-5, 242-pound pass rusher as the top player on the 2025 board.

Pearce was the SEC’s highest-graded defensive end this season at 86.7, which also ranked 12th in the FBS.

"After trading away Brian Burns, the Panthers find their next athletic edge rusher in Pearce. The sophomore’s 21.3% pressure rate ranked third among college football edge defenders, as did his 92.4 pass-rush grade. The scariest part is that he won almost exclusively off athleticism against SEC tackles. If Pearce develops more pass-rushing moves, watch out."

If the Panthers have the No. 1 pick again (they traded the pick to the Chicago Bears to draft Bryce Young in 2022), they would likely be in a position to draft another QB. But if they selected Pearce, the team would have a good addition for Burns, who was traded to the New York Giants for a 2024 second-round draft choice (No. 39) and a 2025 fifth-round selection.

PFF's Max Chadwick said Pearce would have been the first edge player taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, had he been draft eligible. The first edge taken in this year's draft was UCLA's Laiatu Latu to the Indianapolis Colts at No. 15.

247Sports 2025 mock draft

Blake Brockermeyer, similarly, has Pearce as the Panthers' No. 1 pick. As a high school prospect out of Julius L. Chambers High in Charlotte, 247Sports had Pearce as a 4-star prospect and the 173rd-ranked player overall. He was the 18th-ranked edge in the class and the sixth-best player in North Carolina.

"If the Panthers indeed are picking first here, then they probably have a quarterback issue, but nobody in 2025 profiles as good enough to go first overall. This would either be a trade-back or a spot for college football's best edge-rusher, James Pearce Jr.. of Tennessee. Pearce is actually from Charlotte, so this is a fun one for the Panthers and perhaps he can be their next Julius Peppers.

Pearce led the SEC in sacks with 10 for his second season at Tennessee, adding 53 pressures. There are makings of a dominant pass-rusher here."

James Pearce stats

Here's a look at Pearce's stats in his first two seasons with the Volunteers:

• 2022: 5 total tackles, 3 solo tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 2 sacks

• 2023: 28 total tackles, 18 solo tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 1 pass deflection, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception and 1 interception return for TD (52 yards)

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: James Pearce Jr mock draft: Tennessee edge projected as top pick by PFF, 247Sports