Harold Perkins

● Twitchy athlete with speed to fly to the football, string out runs or chase from the backside ● Outstanding closing ability and at his most dangerous as an open-field blitzer ● Lightning-quick first step to dip underneath tackles when aligned as an edge ● Operates well in space as the “Jam” spy or overhang defender ● Sudden lateral movements to evade climbing blockers or scrape inside gaps ● Loose movements help him break down in space or slip blocks ● Able to mirror tight ends or backs in man-to-man and carry them down the seam ● Finds eyes of the quarterback as a hook/curl defender ● Looks like an offensive player when attacking catch point in coverage ● Accounted for 13 turnovers in his career (eight forced fumbles, five interceptions)

● Doesn’t have ideal bulk or length, with a tapered waist and lower body ● Smallest hands at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine ● Inconsistent through contact and can find himself velcroed to blocks without much shock in his take-on hands ● Average tackling strength — often goes backward at contact, conceding extra yardage 479 Back to table of contents -- 483 of 629 -- ● Doesn’t convert speed to power to move blockers as a blitzer ● Fast, hard-charging angles leave him empty-handed versus patient, cutback runners ● Caught out of his gap on run fits when he gets too nosy ● Arrives too hot on backfield reads, making decisions easier for the quarterback ● Coverage instincts are currently immature ● Torn right ACL (Sept. 2024), which required surgery and cut short his 2024 season

A starter for three-and-a-half years at LSU, Perkins played a hybrid Star linebacker position (overhang/slot) in defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s 4-2-5 base scheme. He made an immediate splash as a freshman pass rusher to put himself on the NFL radar, although LSU struggled to find him a full-time position. He cycled between edge rusher, off-ball spy and inside linebacker as an underclassman. Despite being moved around, Perkins consistently produced, leading the team in tackles for loss and forced fumbles in each of his three healthy seasons in Baton Rouge. For his final two seasons, he wore the No. 7 jersey, which is awarded to the best playmaker from Louisiana on the LSU roster. Strictly as an athlete, Perkins is impressive with sideline-to-sideline range, twitchy burst and speed to close. He is at his best as an open-field rat or blitzer, because he can get home in a hurry, regardless of the angle or depth. Though he has the athleticism to drop as a hook/curl defender, he plays too reactive and is still developing his feel in coverage. The main concerns about his game are his lack of physicality as a take-on player and that he leaves too much tackle production on the field, either because he misses in space or doesn’t have the strength to finish. Overall, Perkins is a complicated NFL prospect. His explosive athleticism jumps off the tape, but he has a tweener skill set and comes with concerns about position fit at the next level. NFL coaches will need a clear vision and timeline for his development.