The 2025 NFL Draft is on the horizon, and the Kansas City Chiefs will be on the clock with the 31st pick. The franchise has been able to add several key additions to its current roster through the draft, and this time, the approach will be no different: draft a stud (or multiple).
Lucky for Kansas City, there are a slew of prospects to choose from, especially in the positions where they need to improve on, those being the offensive line and defense. The Chiefs have been highly paired with taking an offensive lineman, but in a recent version of a mock draft, they lean defense first.
According to CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli’s latest mock draft, the Chiefs would select defensive lineman out of Tennessee, James Pearce Jr. Pearce had a strong combine performance, as he is projected to be a early rounds selection. Below is Fornelli’s reasoning behind their claim.
“Pearce was considered a possible No. 1 pick in this draft a year ago, and his stock has done nothing but fall during the draft process. But there’s a reason he was considered a possible No. 1, and those reasons remain, so he’s not getting out of the first round,” Fornelli wrote.
Following the combine, among edge rushers, Pearce ranks fourth in the upcoming draft. Whether or not Pearce falls to the Chiefs remains to be up in the air, but it could very easily be a possibility given the dire need at adding to the defensive core.
“As the fastest defensive end in the 2025 draft, his game is built on speed. In the run game, he chases down quarterbacks and running backs with ease,” NFL.com reported. “Pearce has an explosive takeoff that causes major problems for opposing offensive tackles.”
Last season with the Volunteers, Pearce collected a collegiate career high 38 total tackles, 23 solo tackles, and was able to earn 7.5 quarterback sacks. In the quarterback sack department, Pearce reached 9.5 one year prior, continuing to add reason why the Chiefs should keep them on their draft radar.
After the franchise signed Janarius Robinson on Friday for depth, an additional defensive end getting picked up in the draft wouldn’t hurt.
