The Pittsburgh Steelers have a pre-draft visit set with LSU ILB Harold Perkins Jr. according to Ryan Fowler on X.
“Source: LSU LB Harold Perkins Jr has visits scheduled with the Pittsburgh Steelers & Los Angeles Chargers,” he wrote. “Versatile defender remains one of the more interesting evals in the class. 35 TFLs & eight forced fumbles in his four seasons at LSU.”
Source: LSU LB Harold Perkins Jr has visits scheduled with the Pittsburgh Steelers & Los Angeles Chargers.
Versatile defender remains one of the more interesting evals in the class. 35 TFLs & eight forced fumbles in his four seasons at LSU.
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) March 23, 2026
Measuring in at 6010, 223 pounds, Perkins is definitively on the smaller side for an off-ball linebacker, but you can’t dispute what he was able to accomplish in college. In four seasons, he had 220 total tackles and 35.5 TFLs with 17 sacks, five INTs, and eight FFs.
The majority of his snaps came at inside linebacker, but he also had 250 snaps in the slot and 77 as an outside linebacker in the 2025 season. It was a much more even split between the three positions earlier in his college career.
He didn’t run at the combine, but his speed is hard to miss on tape. His Pro Day takes place today at LSU, so numbers may emerge shortly on exactly how athletic he is.
Perkins isn’t a plug-and-play inside linebacker in the Steelers’ system, but could he be a versatile chess piece like how McCarthy and his staff used Micah Parsons for all those years with the Dallas Cowboys? Here’s an excerpt from our scouting report on Perkins.
“A rigid, conventional off-ball role likely caps his very high ceiling. He fits best in an aggressive, hybrid defense that embraces position-less football and emphasizes disruption and matchup creation. His experience across multiple roles underscores how scheme-dependent his success will be.”
Perkins joins Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez and Pittsburgh’s Kyle Louis as three linebackers the Steelers have had reported interest in. It’s worth noting the trade rumors that swirled during free agency on Steelers ILB Patrick Queen. And even if he doesn’t get dealt, he has just one year remaining on his contract with no imminent extension in sight.
Check out our full scouting report on Harold Perkins Jr. below.
Recommended for you