The Atlanta Falcons are comfortable with former Tennessee Volunteers pass rusher James Pearce Jr.’s off-field questions. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons looked at outside linebacker James Pearce Jr.’s numbers and film and knew the former Tennessee standout had the qualities to help their pass rush.
But the Falcons’ full commitment to a trade — one that saw them swap a future first round pick for No. 25 and then exchange a second for a third — wasn’t sealed until the day before the draft.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot visited with Pearce and his mom Wednesday. It served as the final meeting between the Falcons and Pearce, who had previously visited Flowery Branch for an official-30 visit in early April.
The reason for Atlanta’s extensive work on Pearce centered around off-field questions. According to The Athletic, Pearce’s concerns “pertain to his on-field drive and attitude,” along with his maturity.
The Falcons, who preach culture and ethos, seemed an unlikely candidate to gamble on Pearce. But after a lengthy pre-draft process spent getting to know Pearce beyond his 6’5″, 243-pound frame and two-time first-team All-SEC resume, Atlanta felt comfortable enough not only to turn in the card, but part with valued capital in order to do so.
“Every exposure is important,” Fontenot said Thursday night. “I know some people don’t do 30 visits, they don’t go out as much, but that’s not for us. We want to know who we’re bringing in this building, because they’re representing us, they’re representing the Falcons, and that’s important.
“We want to know who we’re bringing in here, and so we spend as much time as we possibly can, not just with players but people that surround them.”
Pearce said the Falcons made an effort to learn more about him, something he reciprocated. When the two sides met, he wanted to better understand the coach and general manager he may be playing for.
“They believed in me. They believed in my talent. They believed in my skill set,” Pearce said about his takeaways on Fontenot and Morris. “They believed in me growing as a man and ready to get better and ready to make plays for the Falcons.”
Atlanta started its examination of Pearce months — if not a year — in advance.
The Falcons’ process starts with scouts profiling players and gathering information in-person throughout the college football season. The front office gets involved in the winter, and the coaching staff follows in the spring.
It’s a lengthy process. Pearce’s was particularly complicated. The Falcons believe they sorted through the right information to reach the correct — and perhaps not publicly popular — conclusion on Pearce off the field.
“We’re about as thorough and detailed as you can possibly be,” Fontenot said. “We spent a lot of time with him personally, everybody surrounded with him, and it was truly an exhaustive process. And that’s what makes us feel good about our culture and everything we are.
“That’s important — we always talk about intangibles, and we want to bring in guys that love ball and love to compete, and as we build this roster the right way, and we spent a lot of time with him making sure that he was going to fit.”
The Falcons had little doubt about Pearce’s on-field fit. Atlanta needed to improve its pass rush, and Pearce — along with Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker, the team’s first pick of the night at No. 15 overall — helps accomplish that, Morris said.
In 2023, Pearce led the Volunteers with 14 tackles for loss and was eighth in the FBS with 10 sacks across 13 games. Pearce again led Tennessee in tackles for loss with 13 in 2024 while adding 7.5 sacks.
Pearce finished tied for third in the FBS with 43 quarterback hurries in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus, and he was tied for 12th with 55 total pressures. His 23% win rate ranked seventh best in the nation.
The Charlotte, N.C. native’s numbers jumped off the page to Fontenot and the Falcons’ staff, but so did his film.
“As a pass rusher, just look at the numbers,” Fontenot said. “Even if you don’t watch tape, look at the numbers — highest pressure rate in football, and that’s great. It’s been consistent for two years. I mean, this is a productive player. He can get off the ball, he’s explosive, he’s sudden, he’s twitchy, he plays with violence.
“And so, whether it’s in the run game or the pass game, he’s disruptive in that way, really flies around. Love the way he plays, love the way he competes.”
The Falcons are also fond of how Pearce approaches pass rushing. When he visited Atlanta’s facilities three weeks before the draft, he sat in Morris’s office and delved into the nuances of improving his hand usage and utilizing more pass rush moves.
Morris said Pearce has an “obsession” with rushing the passer. For Pearce, such an obsession stems from a greater passion that goes directly against his reported character concerns.
“I love football,” Pearce said. “I love the game. I’m ready to just prove that day in and day out.”
And if Pearce, who has a self-proclaimed “dog mentality,” proves he has the off-field qualities to mirror his gaudy college film and production, the Falcons may ultimately walk away feeling validated in their late-night swing.
