Upgrading the pass rush was a primary goal for the Atlanta Falcons this offseason. After all, they haven’t had a player reach 10 sacks in a single season since 2016, marking the longest active drought in the NFL. Atlanta attempted to solve this problem in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, as the Falcons selected Jalon Walker out of Georgia at No. 15 overall, then traded back into the opening round to take Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. at No. 26 overall.
The Falcons paid quite the price for Pearce, as they gave up their 2026 first-round pick in the trade, but this rookie has been making waves in training camp.
The Falcons’ website named Pearce their “most notable player” from practice on Sunday — for multiple reasons. His effort was apparently evident when both rushing the passer and playing in coverage. Pearce reportedly was a common sight in the backfield, and batted down a Kirk Cousins pass that drew a compliment from the veteran signal-caller, according to ESPN. The pass rusher was also seen taking reps on special teams in kickoff coverage, but what Pearce really made headlines for was being the center of attention in fights.
ESPN reported that Pearce got into a scuffle with offensive guard Matthew Bergeron, whose helmet came off in the fracas. The very next play, Pearce drew the ire of offensive tackle Kaleb McGary, who was screaming at Pearce with his helmet off.
Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said after practice that he’s trying to develop a culture that includes some violence and aggression, but admitted that the infighting went a “little too far” on Sunday. Still, he loved seeing the emotion from Pearce.
“He’s prideful as it gets,” Ulbrich said, via ESPN. “He loves this game. He’s got deep love for his teammates … and he wants to come out here and create a strong impression on everybody — and himself included — that he can do this. And you do this at a high level, and I think when you’re in that place of just every ounce of your body’s trying to prove who you are, sometimes it gets to that place where it can get a little wacky sometimes.
“His anger got the best of him a little bit and it is going to be a great learning experience for him.”
Some may chalk up Pearce’s high-energy practice session that resulted in multiple fights to maturity issues, but there are others who will view his tenacity as something desperately needed for a unit that has been lacking it in recent years.
Falcons defense in 2024
Sacks | 31 | 31st |
Third-down conversion percentage | 45.3% | 31st |
Red zone TD percentage | 64.9% | 28th |
Missed tackles | 180 | 30th |
Pearce registered the highest pressure rate (22.5%) in the FBS over the past two years. No SEC player recorded more tackles for loss (28) and pressures (107) than him over the past two seasons, and his 17.5 sacks in that timeframe tied Princely Umanmielen for most in the conference.
If Pearce and Walker can be instant-impact players for the Falcons off the edge, it would go a long way in helping Atlanta snap a seven-season playoff drought — which is tied for the second-longest active streak in the NFL.
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Author: Jordan Dajani
July 28, 2025 | 11:41 am
