UT 2025 Draft Eligible Player Projections_Dane Brugler The Athletic

[SNAFU]

James Pearce Jr- Edge (rated 7th best at position) 2nd Round
A two-year starter at Tennessee, Pearce played the LEO position in defensive coordinator Tim Banks’ scheme, primarily lining up out wide. Despite being in and out of the lineup (35.5 defensive snaps per game in 2023; 35.7 in 2024), he led the Vols in sacks and tackles for loss as both a sophomore and junior. His 107 pressures over the past two seasons ranked No. 1 in the SEC (No. 6 in the FBS).

Dylan Sampson- RB (rated 6) 2nd–3rd Round
A one-year starter at Tennessee, Sampson was a prolific runner in head coach Josh Heupel’s up-tempo, multiple-run scheme (exclusively one-back sets in the gun). After serving as a backup behind Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small for two seasons, he emerged as SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 (averaged 131.4 rushing yards per game in SEC play), setting school-records for rushing yards (1,491) and rushing touchdowns (22) in a season.
Although it looks chaotic at times when he plays in overdrive, Sampson runs with urgent speed getting through the first wave, and his sharp lateral cuts open up the field. He isn’t powerful, but he runs with outstanding competitiveness and averaged a touchdown every 12.1 carries in college. Overall, Sampson is undersized by NFL standards and his inconsistent tempo gets him in trouble, but he is equal parts fast, physical and slippery as a runner and shows promise as a pass catcher. He can have a Tony Pollard-like impact for an NFL backfield.

Omarr Norman Lott- DT (rated 15) 3rd-4th Round
A part-time player at Tennessee, Norman-Lott was a subpackage three-technique in defensive coordinator Tim Banks’ four-man front. Since he played limited snaps on the Vols’ heavy-rotation defensive line (20th on the team in defensive snaps in 2024), his production volume doesn’t jump out, but he led all FBS interior defensive linemen in 2024 in pass rush win rate (12.6 percent) and win percentage (18.9 percent).
Often the first defender to cross the line of scrimmage, Norman-Lott is a twitched-up big man with a diverse skill set to win one-on-one matchups with quickness, power or leverage. He uses sound hand/move fundamentals but leaves a lot of tackle production on the field and needs to play with better control. Overall, Norman-Lott is an explosive disruptor and offers high upside for a coaching staff that can harness his energy, although he will need to improve his undisciplined tendencies, especially in the run game. There is no doubt about his NFL talent, but his ability to handle more of a full-time role is a tricky projection.

Elijah Simmons- DT (rated 31) 6th-7th Round
A part-time player at Tennessee, Simmons lined up as the one-/2i-technique defensive tackle in defensive coordinator Tim Banks’ four-man front. Part of a heavy rotation, his career production over 55 games (59 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 0.5 sack) would be considered average for just one season — he logged a paltry 840 defensive snaps in six years.
When you grade to the flashes, you see a disruptive force who explodes out of his hips to create knockback, control the point of attack and cause 10-car pileups at the line. But his pass rush is non-existent, and his lack of overall production reflects the inconsistent levels of play to his game. Overall, Simmons has the natural body girth to grow roots and play stout against down blocks and double teams, but he will need to prove to NFL coaching that he can handle more of a workload to lock down a roster spot. He projects as an early-down nose.
Dont'e Thornton- WR (rated 23) 5th-6th Round
Bru McCoy- WR (rated 27) 6th Round

Will Brooks- S (rated 41)- FA
Keenan Pili- LB (rated 77)- FA
John Campbell Jr- OT, FA
Cooper Mays- G, FA
Javontez Spraggins- G (rated 42), FA
Andrej Karic- G (rated 53), FA

 

[FBtime]

John Campbell Jr- OT, FA
Cooper Mays- G, FA
Javontez Spraggins- G (rated 42), FA
Andrej Karic- G (rated 53), FA

This is how I know our OL will be improved this year. We will be better at almost every position except for C where I think Satterwhite will at least be as good. Plus Heard will have a full off season and be fully healthy with a chip on his shoulder.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

Omari Thomas not even being listed makes no sense to me. He stood out the last 2 years to me as a NFL caliber player. Also James Pearce falling from potential #1 overall pick before the season to 2nd round makes little sense. No way this past year made him fall that far. Either they misevaluated last season or these mock drafts don't know what they're talking about and he goes in the top 15.

 

[Oldvoldad]

James Pearce Jr- Edge (rated 7th best at position) 2nd Round
A two-year starter at Tennessee, Pearce played the LEO position in defensive coordinator Tim Banks’ scheme, primarily lining up out wide. Despite being in and out of the lineup (35.5 defensive snaps per game in 2023; 35.7 in 2024), he led the Vols in sacks and tackles for loss as both a sophomore and junior. His 107 pressures over the past two seasons ranked No. 1 in the SEC (No. 6 in the FBS).

Dylan Sampson- RB (rated 6) 2nd–3rd Round
A one-year starter at Tennessee, Sampson was a prolific runner in head coach Josh Heupel’s up-tempo, multiple-run scheme (exclusively one-back sets in the gun). After serving as a backup behind Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small for two seasons, he emerged as SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 (averaged 131.4 rushing yards per game in SEC play), setting school-records for rushing yards (1,491) and rushing touchdowns (22) in a season.
Although it looks chaotic at times when he plays in overdrive, Sampson runs with urgent speed getting through the first wave, and his sharp lateral cuts open up the field. He isn’t powerful, but he runs with outstanding competitiveness and averaged a touchdown every 12.1 carries in college. Overall, Sampson is undersized by NFL standards and his inconsistent tempo gets him in trouble, but he is equal parts fast, physical and slippery as a runner and shows promise as a pass catcher. He can have a Tony Pollard-like impact for an NFL backfield.

Omarr Norman Lott- DT (rated 15) 3rd-4th Round
A part-time player at Tennessee, Norman-Lott was a subpackage three-technique in defensive coordinator Tim Banks’ four-man front. Since he played limited snaps on the Vols’ heavy-rotation defensive line (20th on the team in defensive snaps in 2024), his production volume doesn’t jump out, but he led all FBS interior defensive linemen in 2024 in pass rush win rate (12.6 percent) and win percentage (18.9 percent).
Often the first defender to cross the line of scrimmage, Norman-Lott is a twitched-up big man with a diverse skill set to win one-on-one matchups with quickness, power or leverage. He uses sound hand/move fundamentals but leaves a lot of tackle production on the field and needs to play with better control. Overall, Norman-Lott is an explosive disruptor and offers high upside for a coaching staff that can harness his energy, although he will need to improve his undisciplined tendencies, especially in the run game. There is no doubt about his NFL talent, but his ability to handle more of a full-time role is a tricky projection.

Elijah Simmons- DT (rated 31) 6th-7th Round
A part-time player at Tennessee, Simmons lined up as the one-/2i-technique defensive tackle in defensive coordinator Tim Banks’ four-man front. Part of a heavy rotation, his career production over 55 games (59 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 0.5 sack) would be considered average for just one season — he logged a paltry 840 defensive snaps in six years.
When you grade to the flashes, you see a disruptive force who explodes out of his hips to create knockback, control the point of attack and cause 10-car pileups at the line. But his pass rush is non-existent, and his lack of overall production reflects the inconsistent levels of play to his game. Overall, Simmons has the natural body girth to grow roots and play stout against down blocks and double teams, but he will need to prove to NFL coaching that he can handle more of a workload to lock down a roster spot. He projects as an early-down nose.
Dont'e Thornton- WR (rated 23) 5th-6th Round
Bru McCoy- WR (rated 27) 6th Round

Will Brooks- S (rated 41)- FA
Keenan Pili- LB (rated 77)- FA
John Campbell Jr- OT, FA
Cooper Mays- G, FA
Javontez Spraggins- G (rated 42), FA
Andrej Karic- G (rated 53), FA

I project ONL to have the longest tenure of these in the NFL.

 

[wisvol22]

Omari Thomas not even being listed makes no sense to me. He stood out the last 2 years to me as a NFL caliber player. Also James Pearce falling from potential #1 overall pick before the season to 2nd round makes little sense. No way this past year made him fall that far. Either they misevaluated last season or these mock drafts don't know what they're talking about and he goes in the top 15.

I agree on Big O, I was surprised I didn't see any buzz about him, so much so I had to double check a couple weeks back to see if he was back at UT next year.

Regarding Pearce, a ton of smoke of him having major character issues is what's causing him to fall.

For reference here is a write up from Bob McGinn who is very connected in the scouting world and puts out unfiltered feedback on prospects.

5. JAMES PEARCE, Tennessee (6-5, 248, 4.48, 1): Third-year junior, one-year starter. “He’s talented — really talented,” one scout said. “Built like an NFL player. He’s got twitch, can get off the ball, got production. Some scouts are worried about the guy. I was at a game and the guy was just a complete Lone Ranger. By himself on the sideline, standing 20 yards from anybody on his team. Didn’t look like he cared at all. Claims he was a captain and a leader and all that stuff, but it’s just one of those things that he might just have been anointed that versus earning it. Traits-wise, he’s for sure first round.” Ran a blazing 40 but his vertical jump (31) was the poorest of the top 20 at the position. “Really liked the get-off and burst of speed and bend,” a second scout said. “Not a lot of power in his rush but he can really run. Didn’t play a ton of snaps like you would think. Not soft. Mid-first round.” Arms were 32 ¾, hands were 10. “There’s some concerns on the character,” said a third scout. “Lot of emotional outbursts and inconsistency. He’s not quite Von Miller but he’s got that kind of ability to turn the corner and get home on the quarterback. More of a one-dimensional player at this point in his career. Not heavy enough to play the run. He’s a leaky tackler who falls off too often. He had top-5 buzz coming off 2023 (10 sacks) and then with more attention focused on him he disappeared in some games.” Finished with 71 tackles (30 for loss), 19 ½ sacks and two passes defensed in 39 games, including 12 starts. “Pearce belongs with the top three but the mental part, the personality part is what I would say pushes him down,” a fourth scout said. “You knew at the combine he would put on that show, and he did. He did not disappoint. He probably goes after Williams, Carter and Stewart. But it will probably be to a successful team that will feel like they can take him on. At Tennessee, he was literally a no-go. You ask somebody there: ‘Hey, if you had a chance to come to the league, would you bring this guy?’ They’re, like, ‘Absolutely not.’ On his own program. The whole team’s working out and he’s in his apartment. They didn’t know where he was.” Four-star recruit from Charlotte. “Almost a basketball player’s body,” a fifth scout said. “Got some first-step quicks but not really explosive. He’s not strong. They push him around. Not very physical at the point of attack. A 3-4 guy. I’ve seen a lot of profiles like this go bust. He’s scary. He had a lot of hype coming in. That will carry him a long way.” Volunteers’ first defensive lineman to make first team All-Southeastern Conference two straight years since John Henderson 25 years ago.

 

[1Big_Orange_Fan]

Wow, hadn’t heard any of that stuff about Pearce before. Hope he is drafted high and blows up

 

[Sarms58]

John Campbell Jr- OT, FA
Cooper Mays- G, FA
Javontez Spraggins- G (rated 42), FA
Andrej Karic- G (rated 53), FA

This is how I know our OL will be improved this year. We will be better at almost every position except for C where I think Satterwhite will at least be as good. Plus Heard will have a full off season and be fully healthy with a chip on his shoulder.

The changes in the rules plus the extra year of eligibility (covid) resulted in us having a very solid, experienced OL but not one with much NFL talent. I hope we make the transition to the younger guys who at least on paper are more talented and have more upside. The two best teams we played this year - Georgia and Ohio State - both have multiple OL projected to be drafted - some in the early rounds. That’s where our program need to be.

But it is a positive to potentially have six guys drafted. Hopefully we can continue to improve overall talent and reach a point where we have 10+ players drafted after good seasons.

 

[hndog609]

Sampson is interesting because of how diverse his evaluations seem to be. Everybody seems to agree he's a good back (pretty much universally top 10 in a very deep class) but I've seen him toward the bottom of the top 10 all the way to #2 behind Jeanty.

 

[Oldvoldad]

John Campbell Jr- OT, FA
Cooper Mays- G, FA
Javontez Spraggins- G (rated 42), FA
Andrej Karic- G (rated 53), FA

This is how I know our OL will be improved this year. We will be better at almost every position except for C where I think Satterwhite will at least be as good. Plus Heard will have a full off season and be fully healthy with a chip on his shoulder.

Totally agree!

 

[VolinMichigan]

Sampson is interesting because of how diverse his evaluations seem to be. Everybody seems to agree he's a good back (pretty much universally top 10 in a very deep class) but I've seen him toward the bottom of the top 10 all the way to #2 behind Jeanty.

It’s his size. He just isn’t the prototypical size for a feature back in the NFL. Which if you’re considering drafting a rb in the first 2-3 rounds, then you’re looking at a player that you feel should become a starter in 1-2 seasons. Can Sampson hold up physically? That’s a legitimate concern. I think he falls into a good situation in round 3, or he’ll go higher to a team that often features a rb in the pass game because he is good in the pass game.

 

[hndog609]

It’s his size. He just isn’t the prototypical size for a feature back in the NFL. Which if you’re considering drafting a rb in the first 2-3 rounds, then you’re looking at a player that you feel should become a starter in 1-2 seasons. Can Sampson hold up physically? That’s a legitimate concern. I think he falls into a good situation in round 3, or he’ll go higher to a team that often features a rb in the pass game because he is good in the pass game.

I'm certain his (by NFL standards anyway) less than ideal stature isn't helping draft status. Another thing I've seen multiple times is he was running against "light boxes" due to UT's sideline to sideline spreads. I guess I understand that to an extent but breaking tackles and running hard with speed doesn't just "unhappen" due to defensive alignment. Still, my surprise was the size of the range of his evaluations. While different people jostle the places a bit the vast majority of the time players find a niche where most people put them give or take. I've seen him ranked anywhere from the 20's to #2.

 

[VolFanNC09]

I agree on Big O, I was surprised I didn't see any buzz about him, so much so I had to double check a couple weeks back to see if he was back at UT next year.

Regarding Pearce, a ton of smoke of him having major character issues is what's causing him to fall.

For reference here is a write up from Bob McGinn who is very connected in the scouting world and puts out unfiltered feedback on prospects.

5. JAMES PEARCE, Tennessee (6-5, 248, 4.48, 1): Third-year junior, one-year starter. “He’s talented — really talented,” one scout said. “Built like an NFL player. He’s got twitch, can get off the ball, got production. Some scouts are worried about the guy. I was at a game and the guy was just a complete Lone Ranger. By himself on the sideline, standing 20 yards from anybody on his team. Didn’t look like he cared at all. Claims he was a captain and a leader and all that stuff, but it’s just one of those things that he might just have been anointed that versus earning it. Traits-wise, he’s for sure first round.” Ran a blazing 40 but his vertical jump (31) was the poorest of the top 20 at the position. “Really liked the get-off and burst of speed and bend,” a second scout said. “Not a lot of power in his rush but he can really run. Didn’t play a ton of snaps like you would think. Not soft. Mid-first round.” Arms were 32 ¾, hands were 10. “There’s some concerns on the character,” said a third scout. “Lot of emotional outbursts and inconsistency. He’s not quite Von Miller but he’s got that kind of ability to turn the corner and get home on the quarterback. More of a one-dimensional player at this point in his career. Not heavy enough to play the run. He’s a leaky tackler who falls off too often. He had top-5 buzz coming off 2023 (10 sacks) and then with more attention focused on him he disappeared in some games.” Finished with 71 tackles (30 for loss), 19 ½ sacks and two passes defensed in 39 games, including 12 starts. “Pearce belongs with the top three but the mental part, the personality part is what I would say pushes him down,” a fourth scout said. “You knew at the combine he would put on that show, and he did. He did not disappoint. He probably goes after Williams, Carter and Stewart. But it will probably be to a successful team that will feel like they can take him on. At Tennessee, he was literally a no-go. You ask somebody there: ‘Hey, if you had a chance to come to the league, would you bring this guy?’ They’re, like, ‘Absolutely not.’ On his own program. The whole team’s working out and he’s in his apartment. They didn’t know where he was.” Four-star recruit from Charlotte. “Almost a basketball player’s body,” a fifth scout said. “Got some first-step quicks but not really explosive. He’s not strong. They push him around. Not very physical at the point of attack. A 3-4 guy. I’ve seen a lot of profiles like this go bust. He’s scary. He had a lot of hype coming in. That will carry him a long way.” Volunteers’ first defensive lineman to make first team All-Southeastern Conference two straight years since John Henderson 25 years ago.

Pearce is top 3. He was double teamed most of year and still was disruptive. He also played well against the run. No idea on the mental stuff, but there is no way CRG would have put up with it. If he was a head case, he wouldn’t have been coached by CRG. In the games, I never saw him standing by himself.

 

[SNAFU]

The Falcons are focused on building up their defense with pass rushers — Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. and Marshall’s Mike Green are in play for Atlanta.
Dianna Russini

 

[Carp]

Man I hope Pearce lasts to the Titans 2nd round pick. Talk about amazing value.