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USA Today
19-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Lions, Panthers projected to select two Vols each in 2025 NFL draft
Lions, Panthers projected to select two Vols each in 2025 NFL draft The NFL draft will take place April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Several former Vols, including James Pearce Jr., Dont'e Thornton Jr., Dylan Sampson, Omarr Norman-Lott and Cooper Mays, are prospects in the 2025 NFL draft. Tennessee had three players selected in the 2024 NFL draft: Jaylen Wright to Miami (No. 120 overall) in the fourth round, Joe Milton III to New England (No. 193 overall) in the sixth round and Kamal Hadden to Kansas City (No. 211) in the sixth round. Ahead of next week's draft, NFL Network analyst Chad Reuter released an updated seven-round mock draft Friday. Five Vols were selected in Reuter's mock draft and are listed below. James Pearce Jr. Reuter projects Pearce Jr. to fall near the bottom of the second round at No. 60 overall to the Lions. Drafting Pearce Jr. would be an interesting move for the Lions considering trusted commodities like Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport will be returning from injury. Dont'e Thornton Jr. Thornton Jr. joins Pearce Jr. with Detroit in Reuter's mock draft as the last pick in the third round (No. 102 overall). Amon-Ra St. Brown receives the most targets of any receiver for the Lions. Other wide receivers the former Vol would compete against are Kalif Raymond, Jameson Williams and Tim Patrick. Dylan Sampson Reuter forecasts Sampson to be selected by the Browns with the second pick of the fourth round (No. 104 overall). Cleveland is in need of running backs after not re-signing Nick Chubb in free agency. Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. are Cleveland's only running backs on the roster. Omarr Norman-Lott Reuter projects Norman-Lott to be selected by the Panthers with the second pick in the fifth round (No. 140 overall). Carolina signed Tershawn Wharton from the Chiefs and Bobby Brown III from the Rams in free agency. Former Vol Shy Tuttle is also part of the Panthers' interior defensive line. Bru McCoy Reuter projects Bru McCoy to join Norman-Lott on the Panthers in the seventh round (No. 230 overall). Carolina's receiving core is a mixture of older veterans like Adam Thielen and David Moore, along with younger, less proven players, in Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker. Follow us at @VolsWire on X and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of University of Tennessee athletics.
USA Today
12-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Three takeaways from Tennessee's 2025 pro day
Three takeaways from Tennessee's 2025 pro day Tennessee held its 2025 pro day at Anderson Training Center Tuesday. Former Vols James Pearce Jr., Omarr Norman-Lott, Elijah Simmons, Dylan Sampson and Dont'e Thornton Jr. participated in various components of Tennessee's pro day after attending the NFL scouting combine. Additional Tennessee pro day participants included defensive lineman Omari Thomas, linebacker Eli Purcell, safety Will Brooks, long snapper Matthew Salansky and offensive linemen John Campbell Jr., Cooper Mays, Javontez Spraggins, Andrej Karic and Dayne Davis. Of Tennessee's participants, Pearce Jr., Thornton Jr. and Sampson addressed media following their drills. Three of the most important moments from their media availabilities are below. James Pearce Jr. discusses character As the NFL draft approaches April 24-26, Pearce Jr. discussed his character following Tennessee's pro day. "(I want teams to know) that I'm a great guy, a great teammate, great player, people person and that I have a good heart," Pearce Jr. said. Dylan Sampson showcases health, receiving ability One of the many problems that led to Tennessee's downfall against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff was an injury at running back with Sampson. He discussed his recovery following pro day. "For one, I hope everybody sees that I am healthy and moving well," Sampson said. "I also wanted to show my receiving capabilities, show I can run routes and catch the ball naturally." Dont'e Thornton Jr. displays speed, verticality Thornton Jr. was quick to suggest the best comparison to himself among current NFL wide receivers being Nico Collins. Both Thornton Jr. and Collins are taller receivers who are capable of being explosive with downfield speed. "I'm a bigger receiver, but I would also say I'm versatile as I can play both inside and outside," Thornton Jr. said. "That's the main attraction for a lot of teams."
USA Today
01-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Standout defenders should be on Chiefs' radar after stellar performances at NFL combine
Standout defenders should be on Chiefs' radar after stellar performances at NFL combine The Kansas City Chiefs need to add young talent to their defense in the offseason, and the 2025 NFL draft is full of talented prospects who could help the team get back to the Super Bowl. During the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine this week, Kansas City got to see some of the top defenders in this year's draft class, who may have put themselves on the Chiefs' radar after achieving excellent results at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Kansas City will have many holes to fill on its roster in the 2025 offseason, and the Chiefs may look to select one of the top performers from the combine to add some extra athleticism to their defense. Take a look at four combine standouts who should be on Kansas City's draft radar after their standout performances this week: Tennessee Volunteers DE James Pearce Jr. Pearce Jr. ran a blazing-fast 4.47-second 40-yard dash in Indy, which sent his draft stock soaring. Now, he may not fall far enough for Kansas City to select him with the No. 31 pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft. As such, Pearce should be considered a potential trade-up candidate for the Chiefs. Toledo Rockets DT Darius Alexander Alexander ran the 40-yard dash in less than five seconds while weighing more than 300 pounds, which is an astounding feat in its own right. He tied for second place in the bench press with 28 reps and took a formal meeting with the Chiefs at the combine. Oklahoma State Cowboys LB Nick Martin Martin's outstanding athleticism was on full display in Indianapolis and may have put him on Kansas City's radar as a potential replacement for Nick Bolton, who is set to enter free agency if he does not sign an extension with the Chiefs in the coming weeks. The former Oklahoma State standout ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds, tied for fourth-place in the high jump with a 38-inch vertical leap, and tied for the top mark on the bench press among linebackers with 26 reps. South Carolina Gamecocks DB Nick Emmanwori Emmanwori was the most impressive defensive back in Indianapolis this week. At 6'3" tall and 220 pounds, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds with a 10-yard split of 1.49 seconds. He also led all safeties in the vertical and long jumps, with marks of 43.00" and 11'6", respectively.
USA Today
12-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Two Tennessee linemen projected as 2025 NFL draft top 100 prospects
Two Tennessee linemen projected as 2025 NFL draft top 100 prospects The 2025 NFL draft will take place April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Following the Senior Bowl and East–West Shrine Bowl, two Tennessee defensive linemen, James Pearce Jr. and Omarr Norman-Lott, are projected as top 100 prospects for the NFL draft. Draft Wire projects Pearce Jr. as the No. 23 prospect, while Norman-Lott is the No. 70 overall prospect. Pearce Jr. totaled 71 tackles, 29.5 tackles for a loss, 19.5 sacks, one interception, one touchdown, three pass deflections, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery from 2022-24 at Tennessee. Norman-Lott recorded 44 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, 9.5 sacks and one fumble recovery for the Vols from 2023-24. He transferred to Tennessee from Arizona State ahead of the 2023 season.
