The Atlanta Falcons found a steal in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Harold Perkins Jr., a linebacker and superstar athlete out of LSU, was never supposed to be available late on Day 3. Yet, there he sat at pick 215, and the Falcons couldn't run the card to the podium quick enough.
Now, they are watching him do everything it takes to become a superstar in the NFL. He has been working with a Georgia legend this offseason as he prepares for his first training camp. Fans couldn't be any more excited for someone who already looks like a draft heist.
Working with pass-rush specialist and former Georgia Bulldogs legend Marcus Howard, Perkins is looking good during Atlanta's summer break, showing off some sensational bend in a video that's since gone viral on social media.
Harold Perkins Jr. has already become a late-round steal from the Falcons
This seven-second video tells you all you need to know; this dude is unbelievably quick and explosive -- something everyone already knew watching him in the bayou.
If you don't watch that video without a jaw drop, then you don't know ball. The ease and speed he gets through the drill is absurd. For a 6-foot-1, 225-pound body to move that quickly is nothing short of physics-defying. Now think what he could do for Jeff Ulbrich's defense as early as Week 1.
His mentor, Howard, will know exactly how to improve Perkins' craft. The former Bulldog recorded an SEC-leading 10.5 sacks as a senior in 2007. He also registered 12.5 tackles for loss and 41 tackles in 13 games.
Meanwhile, Perkins looked to have the makings of a future top-five pick when he burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2022. He had 13 sacks, two interceptions, 26 tackles for loss, and 147 tackles in his first two collegiate seasons.
Unfortunately (maybe fortunately for the Dirty Birds), he failed to produce in his final two seasons with just four sacks, three interceptions, 9.5 tackles for loss, and 73 tackles.
The Falcons were willing to take a chance on him in the sixth round, banking on his exceptional talent and athleticism. What you have to love about the marriage between player and team is the presence of Jeff Ulbrich. The defensive mind has made a career of turning smaller bodies into star linebackers.
He started with his work with Deion Jones and followed with Jamien Sherwood in New York and then Divine Deablo last season. The latter two had history playing safety, and while Perkins hasn't played safety, he physically looks like one.
Hopefully, Ulbrich will continue Howard's work and turn Harold Perkins Jr. into a player 31 other teams wish they had taken a flier on.
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