Once upon a time the Dallas Cowboys had a situation on their hands. An elite draft prospect had fallen out of favor with the NFL. After popping positive at a scheduled drug test during the NFL combine, he’d become hazardous materials to most teams. A player who was once considered a clear top10 selection was in sudden freefall, dropping completely out of the first round and deep into the second. Sensing a steal, the Cowboys put an end to his slide, selecting him No. 60 overall and kicking off a career that would span over nine seasons while garnering over $34 million in earnings.
The player was Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory, and the year was 2015. His selection fit the high-risk, high-reward profile Dallas was increasingly becoming notorious for and his career would prove to be a near decade long tease of “what if?”
The Cowboys might find themselves in a rather familiar situation this coming weekend in 2025 NFL draft. A premium pass rusher appears to be on a draft board freefall right now and the Cowboys are in position to be the backstop for his slide. Armed with pick No. 44 in the 2025 NFL draft they could take on the opportunist role much like they were a decade ago with Gregory.
Much like Gregory, Tennessee Volunteer edge James Pearce, Jr. finds himself on a bit of a slide. Beginning the draft process at a consensus position of No. 13 overall, Pearse is now down No.31 with the potential to fall well into the second round. A run-in with the law, coachability and other character concerns threaten to drop him off some team draft boards altogether.
Pearce profiles as one of the most athletic and physically gifted pass rushers in the class. His 6-foot-5, 245-pound frame support an explosive first step and premium bend on the edge. The pure power shown and single-minded focus when rushing the passer make him a tantalizing prospect, even with the various concerns floating about. If a team believes they have the right coaching staff in place to keep Pearce on the straight and narrow, and they believe they can groom him to be more than a one-dimensional pass rusher, rather a complete edge player, that team could find themselves with an epic steal in the second round.
Drafting Pearce is clearly something the Cowboys have considered since they made the Tennessee edge one of their official 30 visits. His pass-rush ability is in elite territory and his ceiling is through the roof. Character seems to be the only thing holding him back this draft cycle and Dallas is doing their due diligence on the matter.
Matching Pearce with Micah Parsons would be quite the power play for the Cowboys defense. Both players would demand constant double teams opening up a windfall of opportunities for others along the line. The Cowboys don’t have an obvious need at DE in 2025 but with most of their key players set to hit free agency next year, the need is fast approaching. Drafting someone like Pearce to be a situational pass rusher in 2025 and to take on a full-time role in the following years makes perfect strategic and financial success.
Pearce could be a familiar gamble for the Cowboys, offering an enormous value if he slides into the second round.
