James Pearce Jr. faced phantom character concerns heading into this year's draft, but after being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, those concerns seem to have been squashed.
Due to bad weather, the Falcons planned to cancel Pearce's workout with the team in North Carolina. However, according to Sports Illustrated, Pearce was persistent in finding a way to work out in front of the Falcons' general manager, Terry Fontenot.
As a result, Pearce and the Falcons were able to meet, which led to another meeting in Atlanta, leading to the Falcons trading up to select Pearce with the 26th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
"A few weeks later, when a Falcons contingent led by GM Terry Fontenot touched down in North Carolina, it was pouring rain," Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer writes. "Fontenot looked at the forecast, saw the rain wouldn't break, and texted to agents to tell them they'd scrap the workout, not wanting to be a prospect in a situation where he'd risk injury that close to the draft.
"Dandy told Fontenot that Pearce was insistent. Fontenot responded that Pearce didn't need to worry about it. Dandy responded that Pearce was already trying to find an indoor facility to rent out. In the end, they agreed, instead, to meet at the house that Pearce had bought his mother in the area, and then bring him to Atlanta for a 30 visit thereafter, where he'd spend extensive one-on-one time with Fontenot, coach Raheem Morris, and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
"But the whole experience helped the Falcons complete the picture on a player who was widely seen as a character risk—someone who was rumored to have been divisive and difficult within the Tennessee program. In the end, after sitting down with Pearce and a slew of people from his past, the team saw a guy who loves football, is hyper-competitive and has smarts, and the Falcons were willing to bet on Morris's program to help him grow up."
Pearce's persistence in getting in front of the Falcons ultimately pushed him over the top with the organization, which is why they traded back into the first round to draft the Vols' edge rusher.
Breer also shared that if Jalon Walker hadn't fallen to No. 15, the Falcons would have taken Pearce there, but they felt they had to take Walker since he had fallen.
He also noted that the Falcons see Pearce as their 2026 overall pick after trading their first-round pick for next year's draft to take him.
That has to make Pearce and Vol Nation feel good about his landing spot. The Falcons seem to be sold on Pearce's ability and sky-high potential heading into the summer.