Usually when the media or a reporter is talking about the steal of the draft, they are often talking in hyperbole, but the Atlanta Falcons genuinely may have landed the steal of the 2026 NFL Draft by selecting LSU edge rusher/linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. with the 215th overall pick of the draft.
Perkins was looked as as a fourth or maybe fifth-round talent in this class, yet somehow fell all the way to the tail end of the sixth round and was not a top-200 pick. Try telling that to someone who watched the 21-year-old during the 2023 college football season. They'd call you genuinely crazy.
Before the 2024 season, Perkins was looked at as a potential top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft based off the tape of his first two college seasons. However, he tore his ACL early on, and his draft stock took a hit, so he chose to return to Baton Rouge as a senior in hopes of climbing back up.
The Atlanta Falcons are banking on obvious talent with the selection of Harold Perkins Jr.
Perkins combined for 13 sacks and 26 tackles for loss across his freshman and sophomore seasons. Before the ACL tear, he genuinely looked like one of the best defenders in college football, and it seemed inevitable he would have an elite NFL career, so this is a pretty mighty drop down the board.
Perkins' issue is that he's a bit of a tweener. At 6-foot-1 and 223 pounds, he's too small to be a full-time edge rusher, and will need to improve in pass coverage to play linebacker. But entrusting his development in the hands of Jeff Ulbrich and Nate Ollie is a favorable situation all things considered.
Ian Cunningham and Kevin Stefanski watched the old tape. They know full well the player Perkins was, and they know he can easily still be that guy with the right guidance. So taking a shot on a guy who was once looked as a former top-five pick this late could offer this edge room a much-needed spark, especially given his versatility to line up all over the front seven.