We know that general manager Chris Ballard has often prioritized adding to the defensive front, but will he do it yet again early on in the 2025 NFL draft?
While, of course, still very early in the pre-draft process, a few names have steadily emerged as favorites for the Colts at pick No. 14 in the draft. This group includes Penn State tight end Tyler Warren and Georgia safety Malaki Starks.
But a few recent mock drafts have the Colts going in a different direction, again adding to their pass rush, by taking Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce in the first round.
Here is what Jeff Risdon of Draft Wire had to say about Pearce and landing with the Colts in his latest mock draft:
“Pearce needs some polish, but the athletic prowess and ability to create quick pressures are ready for action. He can be a spicy player for a Colts defense that has a good portion of steak but not much sizzle. Pearce is a player NFL scouts seem higher on than the draft media is right now.”
Pearce is listed at 6-5 – 243 pounds and is still a fairly inexperienced player with fewer than 1,000 career snaps at Tennessee. However, he’s been highly productive with those opportunities.
Over the last two seasons, Pearce has recorded 107 total pressures–50-plus each season–along with 21 sacks.
In 2024 specifically, Pearce ranked 13th among all edge rushers in total pressures and he also graded out as one of the better run defenders by PFF’s metrics as well.
The Colts had the highest-priced defensive line in all of football during the 2024 NFL season, according to ESPN, and also invested last year’s first round pick into the position, selecting Laiatu Latu at 15th overall.
Yet even so, the production from this group was modest and it took a step back from 2023. Compared to the rest of the league, the Colts ranked 26th in sacks and 22nd in pressure rate–although, during his season-ending press conference, Ballard mentioned that he thought the group played “pretty good.”
As of now, on paper, defensive end may not be a big need but Dayo Odeyingbo is set to hit free agency and there are some decent cap-savings that come with releasing Samson Ebukam, along with their being the need for more consistency from the pass rush in 2025.