The Bengals are hoping to bolster their pass rush this offseason. Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. may be the perfect fit.
Pearce impressed during his workouts on Thursday in Indianapolis, running a 4.5-second 40-yard dash (96th percentile). He also posted a 1.58-second 10-yard split, which is in the 97th percentile.
Pearce had 66 tackles combined over the past two seasons, including 30 for loss and 17.5 sacks. He’s 21st on Dane Brugler’s big board. The Bengals have the No. 17 overall pick.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein only has 16 players with higher grades.
“Pearce is a tight-hipped, linear pass rusher with explosive take-offs and good speed-to-power, but a lack of bend to flatten at the top,” Zierlein wrote. “His high pressure rate is partially derived from an instinctive feel for positioning, allowing him to work around protection for quick wins into the pocket. He’s very long but narrow through his hips, so the build-out of his frame might be limited. Pearce knows how to play around blocks and has the speed to close and tackle, but his base is naturally narrow and lacks bend. He’ll need to improve his strength and technique as an NFL run defender. Despite those concerns, Pearce’s length, twitch and rush production create a higher ceiling.”
Zierlein compared Pierce to Odafe Oweh, who had 10 sacks for the Ravens last season.
The Bengals met with Pearce earlier this week.
James Pearce Jr. is a DE prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.35 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 118 out of 1802 DE from 1987 to 2025.
Splits projected, Times unofficial.https://t.co/xwtofISHM2 pic.twitter.com/hCb2HUDvKW
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) February 27, 2025
“This draft offers a lot of d-linemen. I think this is one the better d-line groups,” Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin said. “We will have to decide what we are willing to accept and not having in a guy. But there are a lot of guys. They are very different. They all have really great strengths. Their strengths that they have are excellent. We will have to decide what we are willing to accept not having in that player. I am excited about the draft for d-line. And we will see what free agency has to offer.”
Check out Pierce’s relative athletic score and footage of his 40-yard dash below:
😤 4.50u 😤
James Pearce Jr. now has the fastest 40 time among defensive linemen.
📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/DRJB18Xe4G— NFL (@NFL) February 27, 2025
