He's on his way to Atlanta. Tennessee football star James Pearce Jr. had to wait a little bit longer than he wanted to on Thursday night, but he's officially a first-round pick. The Falcons traded back into the first round to land him at the No. 26 overall spot.
This is a move that caught everyone off guard, as the Falcons gave up a 2026 first-rounder to make this happen. As you might have been able to guess, Pearce was over the moon when he got the call from the Atlanta front office to let him know what was going on. Thanks to the Tennessee football X account, we can all see just how much the moment meant to the star pass-rusher:
The call. 📞 @JamesPearceJr10 #NFLVols | #NFLDraft | #RiseUp pic.twitter.com/ajqn7I9DS0
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) April 25, 2025
James Pearce Jr. had a priceless reaction after the Atlanta Falcons drafted him
Just look at what it means to him. With his family and friends by his side, it almost looked like Pearce was relieved that the call came in. Hey, not many people can't proudly say they were a first-round pick in the NFL Draft, but you can go ahead and add Pearce's name to the list.
His draft stock took a bit of a tumble this offseason, as character issues were brought up a bit out of nowhere. According to Ian Rapoport, the Falcons had an extra meeting with Pearce and his mom the day before the draft - they have no worries about their new playmaker moving forward.
After their trade, the #Falcons select at No. 26 #Tennessee edge James Pearce Jr, a player they've done extensive homework on.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 25, 2025
In fact, the team met with Pearce and his mom yesterday, looking into his character. They believe the culture set by Raheem Morris will help.
Tennessee Vols fans are pretty fired up for Pearce right now too. In the past two seasons, he was a monster coming off the edge for Josh Heupel, playing a big role in the team posting 10 wins in 2024 and reaching the College Football Playoff. He's all set for a move to the ATL, where a promising career in the league should be on the way for him.