J.J. Pegues NFL Draft 2025: Scouting Report for Ole Miss DL

HEIGHT: 6'2½"

WEIGHT: 309

HAND: 9⅜”

ARM: 32½”

WINGSPAN: 78¾”

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40-YARD DASH: 5.15

3-CONE: 7.77

SHUTTLE: 4.89

VERTICAL: 27.5"

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POSITIVES

— Physical and has some pop at the point of attack against the run.

— Impressive upper-body strength to generate some knockback power and get extension on blocks.

— Is solid against double-teams, uses a wide base and has a good feel for when to get skinny to help stay in his gap.

— Can make tackles in his gap with an offensive lineman hanging onto him.

— Active hands as a pass-rusher and has shown solid cross-chop and double-hand swipe moves that he can win with.

— Loose hips to help clear his lower half and get clean wins when rushing the passer.

— Quick to recognize and sniff out screens.

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NEGATIVES

— Poor get-off, late to react to the snap and has slow acceleration off the line of scrimmage.

— Pads rise pretty quickly out of his stance, making him reliant on winning at the point of attack against the run and hurting the effectiveness of his bull rush as a pass-rusher.

— Isn’t very quick and has subpar movement skills overall, capping his pass-rush ceiling and making him ineffective on line games.

— Best pass-rush snaps came on the edge, but he projects as an interior defender in the NFL.

— Below-average balance in the backfield. Will fall and miss opportunities for sacks and tackles for loss.

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NOTES

— Born Nov. 25, 2001

— 4-star recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports

— Injuries: 2024 (Shoulder, played through it)

— Played at Auburn from 2020 to 2021, where he was a tight end as a freshman, before switching to defensive line and then transferring to Ole Miss in 2022.

— 2024; Honorable Mention All-American, First-Team All-SEC

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OVERALL

J.J. Pegues has decent size and the potential to be a solid run defender in the NFL. His strength and power help him gain control at the point of attack against one-on-one blocks, and he shows a decent swim move to escape blocks and the strength to make tackles with a lineman hanging onto him. 

Pegues can also create havoc in the run game by stunning pullers to plug up rushing lanes in the backfield against gap runs and is solid at taking on double teams. 

As a pass-rusher, Pegues can win with a few moves like a cross-chop or a double-hands swipe and has active hands. 

However, his poor get-off and subpar pad level make his bull rush ineffective, and his best pass-rush reps came on the edge rather than the inside. He isn't athletic enough to line up as a defensive end in the NFL, so he might struggle with being productive on the interior at first.

Overall, Pegues projects as a rotational defensive tackle who would be a good fit as a 3-technique who adds depth to a team’s run defense. He has the potential to grow as a pass-rusher, but he will need some time to develop that part of his game.

Pegues also has experience playing offense and completed a fullback workout at the combine, so his draft stock could rise if a team thinks he can contribute on both sides of the ball.

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GRADE: 6.4 (Developmental Prospect — 5th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 176

POSITION RANK: DL17

PRO COMPARISON: D.J. Jones

Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder