Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. is a guy who has been frequently mentioned as a potential draft target for the Cincinnati Bengals. Some mock drafts dating back to December saw Cincinnati selecting Pearce in the first round given their need for players who can pressure opposing passers.
During his final two years at Tennessee, Pearce recorded 28 tackles for a loss and 17.5 sacks, while earning First-Team All-SEC honors both seasons. With the draft now just weeks away, Pearce continues to get mentioned as a potential target for the Bengals. In fact, a recent mock draft from ESPN again mocks Pearce to Cincinnati, but probably not where you think.
This mock sees Cincinnati stealing Pearce in the second round. That means, in this scenario, the Bengals could add a blue-chip prospect in the first round and then still add the guy who could potentially be a dream fit for the franchise in the next round.
James Pearce Jr. falls to second round, Bengals grab him in latest ESPN mock
The mock draft, which was written by Matt Miller, cites some on-field concerns regarding Pearce that could possibly lead to him tumbling all the way out of the first round and into Cincinnati's lap in the second round.
From ESPN:
"Getting Hendrickson to return is Cincinnati's biggest priority, but it needs help opposite him with Sam Hubbard's retirement and Joseph Ossai's lack of development. Pearce is a productive player, though slightly undersized at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds. He had 17.5 sacks the past two seasons combined and has speed scouts love, running the 40 in 4.47 seconds with a 1.56-second 10-yard split.
"Pearce was once considered a top-10 overall prospect, but a lack of play strength and a pass-rush plan beyond speed rushes have caused concern around the league. But he has a high immediate ceiling as a pass-rush specialist."
Before Bengals fans start celebrating though, it's worth noting that it still feels very unlikely that Perace will drop all the way down to No. 49 overall, which is where the Bengals will be selecting in the second round.
As Miller noted, Pearce was considered a top-10 pick for a while there, so even if he drops, it's hard to imagine him dropping all the way out of the first round. If the Bengals really want him, they'll probably have to use their first round pick to select him, as there's abolsutely no guarantee that he'll still be on the board by the time their second pick rolls around.
If the Bengals decide to go in a different direction in the first round Pearce is still on the board after they make their first pick, they could try to trade up to give themselves a better shot of being in position to land him, but that also seems unlikely.