LSU Tigers linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. is one of the most recognizable stars on the college football stage, but where does he rank in the 2025 NFL Draft with his scouting report? Is his skill set translatable at the NFL level?
Harold Perkins Jr.’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 220 pounds
- Position: Linebacker
- School: LSU
- Current Year: Junior
Perkins’ story is one that brought him full circle, from Louisiana to Texas and then back again. And it’s a story that began with adversity.
Perkins was born in New Orleans in Sept. 2004. When he was a year old, Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, forcing Perkins’ family to eventually relocate to Cypress, Texas. Displaced by Katrina, Perkins found his footing again as a standout athlete and was a five-star recruit in the 2022 class.
Originally, Perkins committed to Texas A&M. But later on in the process, he would de-commit, and choose to play for LSU, returning to the place of his birth. There, he immediately became a defensive starter and a transcendent do-it-all force at the second level.
As a true freshman, Perkins logged 72 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, an interception, two pass breakups, and four forced fumbles. A year later, he added 75 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 13 TFLs, a pick, five PBUs, and three FFs to his career totals. In both years, he was an All-SEC performer.
When the 2025 NFL Draft hits, Perkins will be just 20 years old, and already, he’s one of the most compelling prospects on the circuit. But how exactly does he translate, and how does he fit the modern NFL?
Perkins’ Scouting Report
Strengths
- Possesses terrifying explosive capacity, accelerating with effortless ease on the attack.
- Has the elite recovery speed to erase separation on wheel routes and delayed TE fades.
- Extremely agile, energized mover whose twitched-up lateral mobility can aid recovery.
- Has gravity-defying bend capacity as a rusher, pinching the corner while keeping speed.
- Sharp cornering ability and swarming speed make him an absolute menace in pursuit.
- Can lead into finesse rushes with euro-steps to widen blocks and gain angle advantages.
- Has a wicked ghost move and seals the deal with well-timed rips around the apex.
- Can use his upper and lower body in sync and levy smooth chop-rip combos to win.
- Can quickly get depth after feigning blitz, then hinge his hips to envelop passing lanes.
- Flashes the fluidity, quickness, and hip leverage IQ to play zone or man up big-slot TEs.
- Brings great angle IQ as a front-side run defender and can offset blockers and engage.
- Hyper-elite playmaking range and angle IQ makes him a deadly quarterback spy.
- Flashes good adaptability as a processor in zone, passing off routes and triggering.
- Has very willing physicality, hitting runners with force and deconstructing blocks.
- Has shown to launch into tackles and effectively wrap up with his length.
Weaknesses
- Is notably light and underweight, both as a traditional linebacker and a pass rusher.
- Doesn’t have high-end proportional length and is below-average size overall.
- With lacking size, can be swept up relatively easily in gaps on congestion runs.
- Non-elite play strength inhibits his ability to halt momentum as a solo tackler.
- Still relatively inexperienced at navigating congestion and processing gaps.
- Can be baited into over-stepping by play-action fakes, losing coverage positioning.
- Could do a better job of getting his head around to track vertical passes at times.
- Still improving his eye discipline when dropping and getting depth off exchanges.
- Sometimes drifts past breakpoints on autopilot, giving up space for receivers inside.
- Occasionally peels off downfield too quickly in zone, leaving flat targets unencumbered.
- Naturally lacks an overwhelming power element as a pass-rushing threat.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Entering the 2025 NFL Draft cycle, Perkins grades out as a top-50 prospect and a fringe first-round talent. Set to play more traditional inside linebacker in 2024, Perkins’ junior season will be the season that makes or breaks his stock.
Purely on talent alone, Perkins has Round 1 merit. At 6’1″, 220 pounds, he’s a rare athlete with hyper-elite speed, explosiveness, and bend capacity. With his tools, he can be a terror both as a pass rusher and a pursuit presence, and he has tangible coverage upside.
Right now, however, most of Perkins’ discernable potential rests in his ability as a pass-rush threat and as a run-and-chase, attacking second-level defender with alignment versatility. There aren’t many reps of him patrolling and processing gaps — because that’s not the role Perkins has been asked to fill.
Subsequently, there is a small blind spot regarding Perkins’ evaluation. He’s too light to be a pass-rushing specialist full-time, and it’s unclear how effective he is as an early-down box defender. But he undoubtedly has the skills to be a true defensive weapon, in the right hands.
Perkins’ evaluation is still incomplete. That said, in a modern NFL where disguised blitz and rush looks are becoming more and more popular, Perkins can be an X-factor with his ability to terrorize tackles, close gaps in pursuit, and execute a variety of coverage looks.