Tennessee Vols star projected to be No. 6 pick in new 2025 NFL Mock Draft

Following the convincing win over UTEP on Saturday, things are simply fantastic for the Tennessee Volunteers. This team is hoping to make a push for the College Football Playoff and those efforts are looking strong thanks to the team's fantastic defense.

One of the main leaders on that side of the ball is no question pass-rusher James Pearce Jr., arguably the best EDGE in the nation. Pearce has a bright future in the NFL once he leaves Knoxville. So, how high will Pearce go in the upcoming draft?

In recent months, plenty of mocks have him as either a mid first-round selection or late Day 1 pick. However, The 33rd Team sees things going differently. In their latest NFL Mock Draft, Pearce is set to go No. 6 overall to the New England Patriots. Whoa:

Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. projected to be a Top 10 pick in new mock draft

This would be awesome. Per The 33rd Team, Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders will be the two players taken off the board first, while Kelvin Banks, Cam Ward and Jalen Milroe will round out the Top 5. Then at No. 6, Pearce indeed will be making his way to the Pats to play in the AFC East.

New England has had QB issues since Tom Brady left town, but they used their 2024 first-round pick on signal-caller Drake Maye, who is looking to be a stud for the Pats. Now, they're hoping to keep building on defense, which is where a player of Pearce's caliber could come in.

Pearce once again looked fantastic against UTEP, including a first-half sack on 4th-and-8 for the Miners. Whenever a big play is needed on defense for Josh Heupel and the Vols, Pearce is ready to deliver. Come next season, he'll be ready to keep balling out, but in the NFL. Will a move to Massachusetts be on the way? We'll find out in late April.