The 2025 NFL draft is still more than three months away. That doesn’t stop some from matching players with teams. Pro Football Focus matched teams with a player deemed as their “perfect prospect.” For the Arizona Cardinals, that is a pass rusher who perhaps will be available when they make their selection with the 16th pick in the first round.
For the Cardinals, their perfect prospect is Tennessee edge defender James Pearce Jr.
Quick, how many Arizona Cardinals defensive starters can you name other than Budda Baker? The Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis deserves an award for the production he was able to get out of the players on their roster in 2024, but he needs more weapons to work with in 2025. The Arizona Cardinals defense generated a pressure on just 201 plays in 2024 which ranked them No. 26 in the NFL. Even if 2024 first-round pick Darius Robinson pans out as an effective player, the Cardinals will still need more talent on their front seven and especially someone who can bring some consistent pass-rushing ability to the edge of their defense.
Pearce has had over 50 pressures in his last two seasons of play against SEC offensive lines. Pearce has a burst around the edge and his 22.7% pass-rush win rate shows he has the ability to beat the man across from him that the Cardinals desperately need for their defense so they don’t have to heavily rely on scheme to get pressure.
Pearce is one of the 55 underclassmen who have declared for and entered the draft.
In 2024, he had 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss for the Volunteers after having 10 sacks and 15 tackles for loss in 2023.
He is expected to test well athletically.
The Cardinals do not have a legitimate proven threat off the edge on their team. The hope was that BJ Ojulari could be that, but he is coming off a torn ACL.
Landing a big-time pass rusher could be what the Cardinals need. They were right in the middle of the league defensively last season and that was with no consistent presence off the edge.
There is no question about his fit in terms of on the field and filling a drastic need. But if he tests as well at the combine as many believe he will, the biggest question will be whether or not he will even be on the board by the 16th pick.
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