The Tampa Bay Bucs will draft 19th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft after a 10-7 season that ended much sooner than anyone would have preferred. Jason Licht and Todd Bowles had big-time hits in the 2024 class, and they hope that momentum carries over to this class as well.
Mock drafts are the best way to get an idea of how a draft class will go, and ESPN dropped its latest edition on Tuesday.
Field Yates of ESPN published his latest mock draft for The Worldwide Leader in Sports. Yates addressed the Bucs’ need for an edge rusher by giving them James Pearce Jr. out of Tennessee.
Yates’s analysis of the pick is written up as, “Tampa Bay’s pass rush was in the middle of the pack this season, finishing 13th in pressure rate (31.9%). But it needs some reinforcements off the edge. The Bucs’ top two sack getters — Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea — play inside. Pearce has a lightning-quick first step and the body control to swoop around and underneath tackles. He had 7.5 sacks this season, and though his production slipped a bit from 10 sacks in 2023, the upside of Pearce is unquestionable.”
The Bucs have some reliable pass rushers, but they have lacked one dominant force coming off the edge of the defense. Pearce Jr. was projected as a potential number-one pick for the draft before the year started. Getting him at 19 could prove to be a steal if he reaches his full potential.
To James Pearce’s benefit, he won’t be asked to be a star right away but rather can be folded into the mix and develop alongside Yaya Diaby and company.