Harold Perkins Jr. Starts Falcons Rookie Camp After Sixth-Round Draft Slide
Harold Perkins Jr. begins his first official day with the Falcons on Thursday, and perkins arrives at rookie minicamp after being picked 215th in the sixth round. The rookie linebacker said after the draft, “Guess what, though? I ain’t a Saints fan no more.”
Perkins Opens Falcons Rookie Minicamp
The Falcons open a three-day rookie minicamp with more than 40 players expected to attend, putting Perkins into his first work session in Atlanta. He is the clearest example of how quickly the draft turns into a job, with the 21-year-old moving from LSU to a roster spot that now has to be earned on the field.
That first camp day comes with attention that follows him for more than draft position alone. Perkins grew up in New Orleans, was a lifelong Saints fan before joining Atlanta, and already has a line that will travel with him through this rookie process.
LSU Production And The ACL Hit
Perkins' college file is built around big early numbers and a later setback. As a freshman at LSU, he posted 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles-for-loss. As a sophomore, he added 5.5 sacks and 13 tackles-for-loss before suffering a torn ACL in 2024.
His final two seasons at LSU produced four sacks and 9.5 tackles-for-loss combined, a drop that sharpened the draft debate around him. He was listed as the 16th-best linebacker in the class by Dane Brugler, and some teams had concerns about his fit after the injury, his 6-foot-1 frame, his 220-pound weight, and 31.5-inch arms.
Harold Perkins And The Falcons Fit
The Falcons are betting that the sixth-round price and the upside still line up. Pete Longoria said, “I think at the end of the day, everybody is going to say the Falcons got a steal,” a view that tracks with the way Perkins has been pushing his edge even before minicamp.
Jacory Nichols said Perkins has already been needling Saints cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry during offseason workouts, with Perkins “already yelling ‘Dirty Bird’ at him.” That kind of swagger gives Atlanta a rookie who has something to prove from his first snap, and Thursday is where the proving starts.
