The Atlanta Falcons made some waves when they selected James Pearce, Jr. with their second pick of the first round in the 2025 NFL Draft. Pearce, Jr. made a lot of GMs look a bit silly in retrospect delivering a strong rookie season for the Falcons. How good was he? He became the first rookie […]
The Atlanta Falcons made some waves when they selected James Pearce, Jr. with their second pick of the first round in the 2025 NFL Draft. Pearce, Jr. made a lot of GMs look a bit silly in retrospect delivering a strong rookie season for the Falcons.
How good was he? He became the first rookie since 2021 to reach the vaunted double-digit sack total. The last to do it? Micah Parsons in 2021 with the Dallas Cowboys. Things turned out pretty well for him, I’d say.
And as a result, Pearce, Jr. got the nod as a finalist for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. Along with him as finalists are Atlanta teammate S Xavier Watts, Seattle S Nick Emmanwori, Cleveland LB Carson Schwesinger, and Giants LB Abdul Carter.
As of now, Schwesinger seems to be the favorite, and it’s hard to argue with, as the Browns’ second-round pick had a whale of a season, finishing tied for sixth in the NFL in total tackles with 157.
But Pearce, Jr.’s pass rushing prowess was on display all season, and sacks make money and turn heads when it comes to awards. Pearce, Jr. finished with 10.5 sacks in all 17 games, and his pressure rate of 12.5% was just slightly behind Carter’s of 13%.
It’s a great honor to be on that list. Even if Pearce, Jr. doesn’t win it, it’s tangible proof that he’s made an early impact in the league, and it should just be the start of a strong career in the league for the former Vol.
Category: General Sports
