Jack of All Trades, Master of Some: LSU’s Harold Perkins Jr.

There’s a reason that LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. is as high on the 2025 Consensus Big Board as he is. I believe he is a part of that rare group of players that stand out due to their athleticism.

The junior ended his 2023 campaign with 43 solo tackles, 5.5 sacks, and one interception, doing it with all the chips stacked against him.

Why is he being graded so high?

As always, I’ll start with the good. Perkins is a special athlete who is all over the field for the Tigers.

He has an explosive first step and can use this speed to consistently beat tackles despite his size.

Perkins pairs his speed with a surprising array of hand maneuvers and counter-pass-rush moves. This also plays well into his tackling ability since he is a more than capable wrap tackler and isn’t afraid to occasionally lay the boom. (Although, consistently making hard hits is a skill I would like to see Perkins improve in 2024).

His versatility is his greatest strength. Whether it’s rushing the quarterback, stopping the running back, or dropping back in coverage, Perkins can execute it at a high level.

Another great quality is the fire and hunger Perkins plays with. While he didn’t take plays off, he often fell victim to a poor defensive scheme. On film, this unfortunately came across as “not playing 100 percent,” which isn’t the case.

Pick a position, Perkins!

The biggest storyline regarding Perkins is the mismanagement of not just him, but the 2023 LSU defense, in general. The defense took a massive step back under defensive coordinator Matt House, finishing No. 13 in the SEC in yards allowed per game (No. 6 in the SEC in 2022). House was then fired at the end of the season.

In his freshman year, Perkins played on the edge racking up 7.5 sacks and a 91.0 pass-rushing grade per PFF. At his size, it would be difficult for Perkins to play full-time off the edge while lacking the length and power, especially when matching up against NFL tackles.

In his sophomore season, Perkins was moved to more of an overhanging linebacker role, which proved to be even worse for him. Not only was Perkins missing out on pass rush snaps and he was often left drifting with no clear role. Nevertheless, Perkins overcame the adversity and finished the season with an 81.1 coverage grade, PFF writes, proving that he was winning in that department.

The overhanging role idea could make sense, having your top athlete survey the field and use his athleticism to help out his fellow defenders. However, in turn, it seems to fail to maximize his potential.

With new defensive coordinator Blake Baker in charge, watch out for Perkins in a much more polished linebacking role in 2024.

Jaccoma’s Bottom Line

Can he help an NFL team win? – Yes.

With an NFL-level defensive coordinator who can make use of his absurd athleticism, he will surely make an impact at the next level.

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

#4 Harold Perkins Jr. 6-foot-1, 220 pounds

Philip Jaccoma Jr.’s 2024 Summer Grade: First-Round

Projected by 90.4% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of June 24, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

Game film reviewed (2024): Florida State, Grambling, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Missouri, Auburn, Army, Alabama, Florida, Georgia State, Texas A&M, Wisconsin (ReliaQuest Bowl)

Immense versatility. 4.4-level speed. Great burst off the line. Quick change of direction. Flexible. Natural bend around the edge. High pass-rushing IQ. Gets to the QB. Keeps tackles guessing. Jolts blockers at the point of attack. Can handle heavier opponents at the college level. Drops into coverage exceptionally well. Sideline to sideline speed to cover the flats. Keeps up with pass catchers. Makes the difficult tackles. High energy. Takes too long to read the run as backer and lets blockers climb and close him off. Can’t sustain an edge against the run due to being undersized.

What to watch for during the 2024 college season

1. The big question: where will he play in 2024?
2. More consistent physicality
3. Quicker diagnosing of run plays

Philip Jaccoma Jr. is a rising junior at Rutgers University, pursuing a major in Journalism and Media Studies and a minor in Sports Management. As well as being an aspiring writer and draft analyst for FirstRoundMock.com, he is a sports writer for his school’s student newspaper, The Daily Targum, and a sports broadcaster and producer for WRSU-FM, Rutgers radio. To view more of Philip’s work, follow @PJaccoma on X.