Pearce was a five-star newcomer from high school and won in a series of all-Sec honor in 2023 and 2024 and launched him in the spotlight. But the success of college is not the final goal; It is only the beginning for most aspiring NFL prospects.
Ulbirch believes that Pearce has the tools needed to make a difference for his defense, a unit that has celebrated great turnover. The gone are Grady Jarrett and Matt Judon, and in Step Pearce, Leonard Floyd and Jalon Walker’s teammate, among others. Pearce is expected to land behind Floyd, but as Ulbrich sees it, he will set his mark before long.
“It naturally fits there,” explained Ryan Doyal, a falcon area. “Just because (Ulbrich) is looking for boys who quickly get up to the stadium, who have an explosion, who have Twitch, who have cracked and can finish and close to the team manager. James is all these things.
“… Ulbrich wants juices to come off the edge and James comes screaming off the edge. So, if you are looking for the guy who really changes the Count and Tempo of how a team needs to play us, that’s where James fits in.”
Expectations are clearly high for Pearce in Atlanta in 2025.
“He is a guy,” said Linebackers coach Jacquies Smith, “who is going to be a power to expect.”