The San Francisco 49ers have long sought a complementary edge rusher to pair with Nick Bosa. They once hoped Dee Ford could fill that role, but injuries derailed his tenure. Over the years, the team has cycled through various players in an effort to solidify the defensive front.
Last season, San Francisco signed Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos, expecting the duo to make a significant impact. However, Floyd recorded just 8.5 sacks—his lowest total since 2019—while Gross-Matos managed four sacks after missing time with a knee injury.
Knowing his team still has a pressing edge rusher need, general manager John Lynch may turn to the draft for a long-term solution. CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso projects the 49ers selecting Tennessee defensive end James Pearce Jr. with the 11th overall pick in his latest mock draft.
"Pearce has plenty of Leonard Floyd to him, and enters the league with more upside because of the power he packs when flying around the corner," Trapasso wrote. "Ideal pick to be the bookend to Nick Bosa."
Pearce (6-5, 245) tallied 38 tackles (13 for a loss), 7.5 sacks, a pass defensed, and a forced fumble through 13 games as a senior in 2024, per Sports Reference.
Over his three collegiate seasons, he amassed 71 tackles (30 for a loss), 19.5 sacks, two passes defensed, an interception, a touchdown, and three forced fumbles. His breakout season came in 2023 when he notched a career-high 10 sacks, earning a 90.4 defensive grade and a 91.9 pass-rush grade—both career bests—from Pro Football Focus. He has posted an overall grade of at least 87.1 in each of the past two seasons.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Pearce ran an impressive 4.47-second 40-yard dash—the fastest among edge rushers in Indianapolis—and recorded a 31-inch vertical jump while posting a 10-foot-3 broad jump.
CBS Sports ranks Pearce as the 10th-best prospect in the draft, making him the second edge rusher and third defensive lineman selected in Trapasso's projection.
