Harold
Perkins Jr..
Harold
Perkins Jr..
LSU· 6'1"· 220 lb· 4.40s 40
R6 · #215 · Atlanta Falcons"First-round talent with a sixth-round file: the same player as 2022, three years and one knee later."Pre-draft read
This defender demonstrates straight-line explosion toward the football, with a first three steps that allows him to gain ground quickly. When aligned on the edge, he wins with speed, forcing offensive tackles to miss their set points. His pursuit from sideline to sideline effectively limits ball-carrier escape routes, and he consistently attacks the ball carrier's arm to force fumbles.
However, when asked to diagnose plays from an inside alignment, he displays hesitation and can attack incorrect gaps. He struggles to disengage from guard blocks once linemen get hands on him, lacking the mass and arm length to shed consistently. In coverage, he shows fluidity but can be confused by zone assignments, even as he effectively uses his range to intercept passes.
This prospect fits best in a true 4-3 attacking front with a penetrating three-technique, or a wide-9 front that emphasizes speed and disruption from the edge.
He can contribute immediately as a situational pass rusher and special teamer, with the ceiling to be a high-impact weak-side linebacker in a scheme that limits his read responsibilities.
He would be a poor fit for a two-gap 3-4 scheme or a Cover-3 match scheme that demands extensive off-ball coverage responsibilities.
Perkins' elite explosion and pursuit make him a dangerous weapon when allowed to attack downhill, but his struggles with reading blocks and his slight frame limit his effectiveness as a full-time interior defender.
Harold Perkins is the Highest Ranked Recruit in the 2026 NFL Draft
El repaso a por qué el recluta cinco estrellas de 2022 terminó en el día tres.
Harold Perkins Jr. Runs CRAZY Fast 40-Yard Dash at Pro Day
La carrera del pro day de LSU del 23 de marzo de 2026, la prueba atlética que sí hizo.
Falcons Draft Harold Perkins Jr
La reacción a su selección en el pick 215 por Atlanta.
This player projects as a situational defender initially, ideally deployed as a sub-package edge rusher or second-level blitzer to maximize his explosive traits. His rare first-step quickness and ability to impact plays in the backfield offer a specific, high-upside role for a defensive system looking to add immediate disruption. The 4.40 forty time from his pro day remains his best calling card.
He entered college as a highly touted recruit and immediately proved a force as an edge rusher in his freshman year, posting 7.5 sacks and 13.0 TFL. LSU transitioned him to an inside linebacker role in subsequent seasons, which coincided with a decrease in his tackle for loss numbers. A significant ACL tear in his junior year further complicated his development, though he returned the following season to play twelve games and earn third-team All-SEC honors.
Evaluators were concerned about his ability to transition to a full-time interior role and the impact of the knee injury on his athleticism. The trade-off involved taking a player with elite freshman production and significant medical and positional questions, leading to a consensus projection outside the early rounds. He was ultimately drafted in the sixth round, 215th overall, by the Atlanta Falcons.
- 01
Straight-Line Explosion
This defender demonstrates straight-line explosion toward the football, with a first three steps that allows him to gain ground quickly.
- 02
Speed on the Edge
When aligned on the edge, he wins with speed, forcing offensive tackles to miss their set points.
- 03
Sideline Pursuit
His pursuit from sideline to sideline effectively limits ball-carrier escape routes, and he consistently attacks the ball carrier's arm to force fumbles.
- 04
First-Step Quickness
His rare first-step quickness and ability to impact plays in the backfield offer a specific, high-upside role.
- 05
Fluidity in Coverage
In coverage, he shows fluidity and effectively uses his range to intercept passes.
- 01
Inside Diagnosis
When asked to diagnose plays from an inside alignment, he displays hesitation and can attack incorrect gaps.
- 02
Block Disengagement
He struggles to disengage from guard blocks once linemen get hands on him, lacking the mass and arm length to shed consistently.
- 03
Zone Coverage Confusion
In coverage, he can be confused by zone assignments, even as he effectively uses his range to intercept passes.
- 04
Tackle for Loss Decline
LSU transitioned him to an inside linebacker role in subsequent seasons, which coincided with a decrease in his tackle for loss numbers.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.40sp50
- Vertical
- 35inp50
- Broad jump
- 124inp50
- Three-cone
- —s
- Shuttle
- —s
- Bench
- 20repp50
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | LSU | 14 | 70 | 7.5 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 2023 | LSU | 13 | 74 | 5.5 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 2024 | LSU | 4 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | LSU | 12 | 55 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Career | — | 43 | 215 | 17 | 5 | 11 | 0 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Honors
- 2022: FWAA Freshman All-American after 7.5 sacks and 13.0 TFL as a true freshman
- 2025: third-team All-SEC (coaches) and SEC Academic Honor Roll
- 2026: accepted and played the East-West Shrine Bowl (January 27, AT&T Stadium) instead of the Senior Bowl
- Five-star recruit out of Cy Park HS (Houston area), a top-15 national prospect in the 2022 class and the No. 1 linebacker in the country per On3
- ACL tear against UCLA on September 21, 2024: only four games that season
- Did not test at the 2026 combine; measured and worked out at LSU's pro day on March 23
- 2026 NFL Draft: sixth round, No. 215 overall, to Atlanta
A superior athlete for the position who plays real snaps but never fully solves the between-the-tackles read.
A light hybrid whose coordinator finally lets him attack forward, and the sack production follows.
Elite speed without the mass or instincts to hold a fixed defensive role in the NFL.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Few files in this class depend so heavily on which season you choose to believe. The 2022 Harold Perkins was a first-round prospect and Dane Brugler wrote him up that way in the summer of 2024, before the injury: the best linebacker in the cycle. What happened afterward was half bad luck and half coaching decision. LSU took the most explosive player on its defense, whose entire value came from attacking forward off the edge, and turned him into a 220-pound gap reader that guards could reach.
His disruption production collapsed from 13.0 TFL to 8.0 and the knee took the rest. A team that views him as a sub-package edge or a designated second-level blitzer is buying the 2022 player at a sixth-round discount; one that views him as a base Mike is buying what LSU already tried for two years without success.
Atlanta is paying the right price to find out. One note of rigor: the pro day produced a 4.40, but 4.38 and 4.45 figures circulate depending on the outlet, and Kent Lee Platte has no published RAS for him, so none is recorded here.
Data note: TESTING: from LSU'S PRO DAY on March 23, 2026, NOT the combine — he attended Indianapolis but chose not to test there (confirmed by LSU Tigers Wire, 03/25/2026, citing lsusports.net/26proday). Verified: 6-0 5/8, 220 lbs, 4.40 forty, 35.0 vertical, 10-4 broad, 20 bench reps. FORTY DISCREPANCY: LSU Tigers Wire/USA Today publishes 4.40, a YouTube short says 4.38 and nfldraftbuzz.com lists 4.45; 4.40 is used as the source closest to the program. NO ten-yard split, three-cone or shuttle exists in any source: those columns are intentionally null. Arm 31 3/8", hand 8 1/8" and 77.13" wingspan come from the 247Sports card dated as a 02/26/2026 combine measurement; NFL.com lists 31.5" arm and 8.25" hand, a minor documented difference. RAS: NOT PUBLISHED on ras.football at the time of the check (the site showed only an empty table for the 2026 class); under Rule 4.1 ras_score stays null. STATS: Sports Reference cfb/players/harold-perkins-1, with 2025 confirmed at cfbstats player 1174677. 2022 DISCREPANCY: ESPN (athlete 4685502) lists 4 passes defended and 3 forced fumbles; Sports Reference lists 2 and 4. Sports Reference is used. Starts by season are NOT published anywhere: the key is omitted rather than written as zero. QB hurries do not exist as an official stat in any year; cutcall.com publishes a proprietary "press" metric (18 in 2025) that is NOT used. INJURY: ACL tear in the 34-17 win over UCLA on September 21, 2024 at Tiger Stadium (ESPN 41388596 and 41400879, Reuters 09/23/2024). HOMETOWN: lsusports.net lists New Orleans, Louisiana as his hometown and Cy Park HS as his high school; On3/Rivals lists Cypress, Texas. The Houston-area high school is described without asserting a hometown. Jerseys: 40 in 2022, 4 in 2023-2024, 7 in 2025. LSU listed him as a redshirt junior in 2025 but no medical-redshirt release was located, so it is not asserted. 2023 ALL-SEC: no honor could be confirmed that year and none is listed. National award watch lists: unverified, not listed. Senior Bowl: did NOT participate, chose the Shrine Bowl (tigerrag.com). PFF and the Zierlein text sat behind restricted access and are not cited; the three pro comparisons are editorial. All three YouTube clips were validated via oEmbed (200 OK).