Impressive Video Has Falcons Fans Buzzing Over Rookie LB

Recently, Atlanta Falcons linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. worked out with pass-rush coach Marcus Howard. Howard, a former Georgia Bulldogs edge rusher, has been working with top players at every level, including Falcons Jalon Walker, LaCale London, and Azeez Ojulari.

Perkins said during OTAs he would begin his career with the Falcons at linebacker, but he has extensive experience at edge while with LSU. Working with Howard, it's easy to picture Perkins turning the corner and rushing the passer.

At 6-foot-0, 223 pounds, Perkins is undersized as a pass rusher, but it is where he showed the most upside in college, where he played both positions. So, this workout begs the question: What will Perkins' role be with the Falcons in 2026?

Coming out of high school, Perkins was a five-star recruit and the number one linebacker in the country. He committed to LSU and had an impressive freshman season, racking up 72 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. He played a majority of his freshman season as an edge rusher and had great success beating players with speed and good hand usage.

Imagine telling someone after Harold Perkins’ Freshman year he would be a 6th Rounder 😳 pic.twitter.com/TTGTkcIytQ
— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) April 25, 2026

LSU then transferred Perkins to inside linebacker for his sophomore year, where he struggled to find his footing. They ended up moving him from Mike to Sam linebacker, but he played all over the defense that season. He still put up great numbers but didn’t build on his rookie campaign and put up nearly identical, if not worse, stats in year two.

Then, an ACL injury derailed his junior campaign and caused Perkins to return to LSU for his senior year. Perkins played all over the defense once again, but primarily started as a linebacker. He put up a career-high three interceptions, but saw drops in the rest of his numbers as he was still getting back to full strength.

During his college career, Perkins played 600+ snaps at edge and 900+ snaps at linebacker while logging 700+ snaps in coverage and 200+ on special teams. Perkins truly did play everywhere on defense during his time in Baton Rouge.

"I feel like my best attribute is just being versatile, doing a little bit of everything like I've been saying," Perkins said at OTAs. "Whatever my coaches and my teammates need me to do at that time, that's what I'm gonna do."

However, as a sixth-round draft pick, Perkins will likely not be a Swiss Army knife on defense out of the gate and will instead have to find a role. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbich’s system has a role that is great for Perkins' skill set. He got a big endorsement from Falcons' legend Jesse Tuggle last month.

With the second-highest blitz rate in the league last year, Ulbrich loves to send his linebackers on blitzes to get after the quarterback. This is a perfect role for Perkins, who can use his pass-rushing ability to get after the quarterback from a position that better fits his frame.

Perkins is unlikely to see the field a ton early on as the Falcons have a crowded linebacker room, but if he can excel in this role early on, he should quickly see his snap count rise. I also expect Perkins' athleticism and skill set to make him a great special-teams player. That is probably where Perkins will have the opportunity to make the most impact in year one.

Now two years removed from his injury, Perkins is certainly a rookie to keep your eyes on as he finds his place on this Falcons team. He possesses plenty of raw talent, and it will be interesting to see how the coaching staff decides to deploy him.

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