Tag: Harold Perkins

2025 NFL mock draft: Bucs make polarizing 1st-round pick

See who the Tampa Bay Buccaneers land in this early first-round projection for the 2025 NFL draft

If you’re a fan of way-too-early projections for the NFL draft, you’re in luck, because ESPN’s Matt Miller has a fresh first-round mock draft for 2025 that just hit the digital newsstands.

Miller has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picking at No. 12 overall, and using that selection on LSU’s Harold Perkins, one of the more intriguing defensive prospects in next year’s draft class.

Perkins has been shuffled between edge defender and off-ball linebacker throughout his time in Baton Rouge so far, and we’re still no closer to finding out where his best position fit might be for the next level.

Here’s what Miller had to say about the pick:

Perkins was misused at linebacker last season, but he will move back to edge rusher in new defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s scheme this year. And we could see him use his great speed to eclipse his 13 career sacks this season alone. That might entice the Buccaneers, who are looking for a defensive end to break out and emerge as a true threat to opposing offenses. Veteran Shaquil Barrett is gone in free agency, and Tampa Bay’s 27.3% pressure rate ranked 24th in the league last season, so adding to this group could be a frontline need come next offseason.

Perkins’ overall skill set might be more effective as an edge rusher in the college ranks, but he’s currently listed at 6-1 and 220 pounds, which is already light for an off-ball linebacker, let alone an NFL edge player.

Unless Perkins is able to bulk up and still retain his explosiveness, he could have a hard time finding the right spot at the next level that would warrant first-round consideration.

To check out Miller’s full first-round mock for the 2025 NFL draft, click here.

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3 LSU players projected as 1st round picks in latest ESPN 2025 NFL mock draft

Could the Tigers have a trio of first-round picks for the second year in a row?

LSU had three players selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, the program’s most since 2020.

While the Tigers lost a lot of talent from last year’s team, even in addition to first-rounders [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], there are quite a few potential top draft prospects on this year’s roster, as well. Only time will tell if LSU can match its 2024 first-round total in 2025, but according to the latest ESPN mock draft from Matt Miller, it has a chance.

Miller has three Tigers players going in the first round. Here’s where each of them lands and his breakdown of each.

OT Will Campbell (No. 6, New England Patriots)

The Patriots ranked last in the NFL in pass block win rate last season (43.4%), and even after signing Chukwuma Okorafor and bringing back Mike Onwenu this offseason, addressing the offensive line next offseason is a must. Campbell is part of college football’s best tackle duo alongside LSU teammate Emery Jones Jr. He’s a two-year starter who didn’t allow a single sack and only 15 total pressures last season. He could be long-term protection for Drake Maye in this offense.

Miller has the Patriots trading back from the first overall spot to take some protection for quarterback Drake Maye. [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] is the second tackle off the board in this mock, but he could easily be viewed as OT1 by draft time.

LB Harold Perkins (No. 12, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Perkins was misused at linebacker last season, but he will move back to edge rusher in new defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s scheme this year. And we could see him use his great speed to eclipse his 13 career sacks this season alone. That might entice the Buccaneers, who are looking for a defensive end to break out and emerge as a true threat to opposing offenses. Veteran Shaquil Barrett is gone in free agency, and Tampa Bay’s 27.3% pressure rate ranked 24th in the league last season, so adding to this group could be a frontline need come next offseason.

The Bucs have already drafted one former LSU linebacker in recent years in [autotag]Devin White[/autotag], and they could look to add another in [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], who had a bit of a disappointing sophomore season but could bounce back in a big way this fall.

OT Emery Jones (No. 15, Jacksonville Jaguars)

The biggest weakness on the Jacksonville roster is at offensive tackle; Anton Harrison struggled on the right side as a rookie, and Cam Robinson was among the worst run-blocking left tackles in the league last season. But Jones — who starts at right tackle for the Tigers — has easy movement skills despite a 6-foot-6 and 315-pound frame, and I see the agility and balance to play left or right tackle in the pros. He has to clean up some timing issues, but his jump from freshman starter to sophomore standout (seven sacks allowed in Year 1 compared to four in Year 2) showed his potential.

The Jaguars were all about LSU players in 2024, selecting three including Thomas in the first round. They could go back to that well to land more protection for Trevor Lawrence in [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag], who is being a bit overshadowed by Campbell but is one of the nation’s best tackles in his own right.

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LSU’s defense ranks in the top 20 in College Football 25

The Tigers have a top 20 defense in the upcoming College Football 25 video game.

Anyone who watched the LSU Tigers in 2023 knows that the defense was not even close to being up to par.

It was one of the worst units in the SEC and proved to be a limiting factor as the team failed to return to Atlanta or make the College Football Playoff. Blake Baker is now in charge of the defense, and while there are star players like [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], [autotag]Zy Alexander[/autotag] and safety transfer [autotag]Jardin Gilbert[/autotag], there are still plenty of questions.

In spite of those questions, EA Sports thinks it will be a pretty good unit this fall. It revealed the defensive ratings for the upcoming College Football 25 video game, and the Tigers rank in the top 20 at No. 18 with an 84 rating.

If the Tigers’ defense can take a leap, it could be a pretty successful season on the Bayou with high hopes for the offense, which EA ranked No. 6 in its team ratings.

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Colts address linebacker in way too early 2025 NFL mock draft

In a very early 2025 NFL mock draft from Draft Wire, the Indianapolis Colts address the linebacker position.

Trying to accurately predict what the Indianapolis Colts are going to do in next April’s draft is an impossible task as we sit roughly 10 months out. Prospects will rise and fall down draft boards and team needs will change.

However, what mock drafts this time of the year can provide us with are some names to watch during the college football season.

Our friends over at Draft Wire recently put together a full first-round projection, and at pick No. 13, the Colts selected LSU linebacker Harold Perkins.

Perkins is listed at 6-1 – 220 pounds and has played over 1,300 snaps in the last two seasons while being asked to lineup all over. According to PFF, Perkins played 271 snaps along the defensive front in 2023, 244 from the box, and 255 in the slot.

In the LSU defense, Perkins has been asked to get after the quarterback relatively often, and he’s been effective at it, totaling 65 pressures during that span, including 41 in 2022.

In coverage, Perkins has held opponents to 9.0 yards per catch in his career, and has two interceptions along with three pass breakups. For what it’s worth, he ranked 171st among linebackers in PFF’s run-defense grade this past season.

For more on Perkins, here is a snippet of what Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network wrote in his early scouting report:

“Purely on talent alone, Perkins has Round 1 merit. At 6’1″, 220 pounds, he’s a rare athlete with hyper-elite speed, explosiveness, and bend capacity. With his tools, he can be a terror both as a pass rusher and a pursuit presence, and he has tangible coverage upside.

“Right now, however, most of Perkins’ discernable potential rests in his ability as a pass-rush threat and as a run-and-chase, attacking second-level defender with alignment versatility. There aren’t many reps of him patrolling and processing gaps — because that’s not the role Perkins has been asked to fill.”

At least where we stand right now, linebacker does seem like it will be a need for the Colts next offseason. At a minimum, that could just mean adding depth to the unit with EJ Speed, Ronnie Harrison, Cameron McGrone, and Grant Stuard all set to be free agents.

However, it could also become a top need with the Colts needing to find a running mate for Zaire Franklin if Speed leaves in free agency and they aren’t comfortable with handing the starting job to Jaylon Carlies.

2 Tigers make Phil Steele’s Preseason All-American Team

Two LSU Tigers earned First Team All-American honors by Phil Steele.

Phil Steele recently released his annual magazine and he released his list of Preseason All-Americans. Two LSU Tigers earned First Team All-American honors by Steele.

[autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] are the two Tigers who are preseason All-Americans and both of them earned first-team honors. Campbell has been a star ever since he stepped on campus in 2022. He started as a freshman, played in 13 games, and earned Freshman All-American honors. Last season, he earned the vaunted No. 7 patch to wear on his jersey and he once again played in all 13 games. Campbell is now widely regarded as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the next NFL Draft.

Perkins came from the same recruiting class as Campbell but although he appeared in 13 games, he only started in eight games. He was able to show his prowess in pass rushing as he finished the year with 7.5 sacks. Last season Perkins’s production was not as good but I believe that is due to where his defensive coordinator had him playing. I think he is in store for the best year of his career this fall.

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Where does LSU rank on Phil Steele’s 2024 preseason power poll?

Phil Steele is a bit lower on the Tigers than most preseason rankings.

Recently Phil Steele released his annual digital college football preview magazine, and in the magazine was a power ranking of every Division I football team. Out of 134 teams, where does LSU rank?

LSU was ranked as the No. 20 team on the power poll. That is good for the eighth-highest-rated team from the SEC. Georgia (1), Texas (4), Alabama (6), Oklahoma (7), Ole Miss (9), Texas A&M (15) and Florida (19) all rank higher than the Tigers.

Missouri (22), Tennessee (26), South Carolina (27), Kentucky (31), Auburn (33), Arkansas (48), Vanderbilt (96) and Mississippi State (99) are all behind LSU in the power rankings.

The Tigers lost Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] as well as two of the top receivers in the country in [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] but [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] is ready to lead LSU to greatness. [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] has the ability to be the No. 1 receiver for this offense and I believe the offense will thrive.

Defensively there have been a lot of coaching changes and I don’t think it can get much worse than some games we played last year. I look for that side of the ball to be much improved and I believe [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] will have the best season of his career. It will be a fun season on the Bayou this fall.

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Trio of LSU stars named preseason All-Americans by Athlon

The Tigers lost a lot of pieces, but they return some elite ones as well.

After suffering considerable losses on both sides of the ball following the 2023 season, the Tigers don’t enter the 2024 season with quite as much hype as they did last year when they began the campaign as a top-five team.

Still, LSU has quite a bit of talent on the roster this coming fall, headlined by a trio of players who were named preseason All-Americans by Athlon. [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] were listed among the offensive and defensive First Team, respectively, while [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag] cracked the third team.

Campbell — a bona fide first overall draft pick candidate — enters his junior season and is one of the top offensive lineman in the entire country at left tackle. Perkins, meanwhile, is coming off a bit of a disappointing campaign after a huge true freshman season.

He played mostly off-ball linebacker but could see more action on the weak side this year as LSU tries to figure out how best to use his talent.

Jones, meanwhile, also enters his third season. After some struggles starting as a true freshman, he took a major leap in 2023 as a sophomore becoming one of the SEC’s best tackles.

All three of these players could be poised for huge seasons, and we’ll see if they can crack these lists at the end of the season.

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ESPN has 3 LSU Tigers going in 1st round of 2025 NFL draft

It’s never too early to start thinking about next year’s draft.

It’s never too soon to think about the next NFL draft, right? ESPN just released its first mock draft for 2025, and it projects three LSU Tigers being drafted in the first round.

LSU had three players taken in the first round of this year’s draft when [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] were all taken on Night 1. ESPN has two offensive linemen and one linebacker being taken this time.

[autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag], [autotag]Emory Jones Jr.[/autotag], and [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] are the three Tigers players who are projected to go in the first round. With the third pick of the [autotag]2025 NFL Draft[/autotag], ESPN has the Patriots selecting Will Campbell, who is one of the best offensive linemen in college football. He was given the historic No. 7 jersey patch for a reason. He will be a Day 1 starter wherever he goes.

With the 18th pick of the 2025 NFL draft, ESPN has the Cleveland Browns selecting Emory Jones Jr, who is the other cornerstone of the Tigers’ offensive line. Between Campbell and Jones, you can’t go wrong picking either one.

With the 24th pick of the 2025 NFL draft, ESPN has the Houston Texans selecting Harold Perkins. Perkins has been a star ever since he stepped on campus. Last season, Perkins had 75 tackles, 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception.

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Brian Kelly thinks LSU’s defense is ready for big step forward in 2024

LSU’s defense held the team back in 2023, but it could be much improved this fall.

LSU had arguably the nation’s best offense in 2023.

With a Heisman-winning quarterback in [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and a pair of first-round draft pick receivers in [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], it was the most loaded skill position group we’ve seen in Baton Rouge excluding 2019.

But in spite of that, LSU regressed from an SEC West-winning program to one that finished third in the division, and the defense is a major reason for that. It was one of the worst in college football last season, ranking 105th in total defense and 78th in scoring defense.

Coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is under no illusions about the fact that the defense was a limiting factor in 2023.

“If we could’ve played any semblance of defense (last season), we’re in the playoffs,” he said, according to Blake Toppmeyer of USA TODAY Sports.

However, Kelly said that he thinks the team is now built on a solid enough foundation to compete for a national title, and he expects improvements on that side of the ball in 2024.

“It won’t be elite yet,” Kelly said, “but I think it’s getting to the point where it can complement our offense. It didn’t complement our offense last year.”

LSU opted for a change at defensive coordinator after last season. [autotag]Matt House[/autotag] was fired and replaced by Missouri’s [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag], who was previously a linebackers coach at LSU under Ed Orgeron.

That change, paired with the altered usage of players like [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], is expected to make a difference. Perkins was an impactful player as a true freshman playing off the edge, but a move to inside linebacker last season limited his production considerably.

Perkins has now moved to weakside linebacker ahead of a season where he faces lofty expectations.

“We’re going to need our best players to play their best football,” Kelly said. “Harold Perkins is going to have to be an impact player.”

The Tigers still have some apparent holes on the defensive side of the ball, particularly at the interior of the defensive line and in the defensive backfield. Kelly and the staff have been in the mix for several defensive tackle transfer targets and could also look to add cornerback depth.

LSU’s defense still faces a few questions, and it’s hard to have as much faith in that group as there is in the offense. But if the defense can take a step forward this season, LSU could make the jump from good to great, even without Daniels and Co.

Read the full feature from USA TODAY Sports by clicking here.

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Texans land LSU LB Harold Perkins In ESPN’s 2025 NFL mock draft

It’s early, but the Houston Texans could target a standout SEC linebacker for their front seven in the 2025 NFL draft.

A week ago, Caleb Williams took the stage in Detroit, Michigan, and donned his first jersey as a member of the Chicago Bears. The move was expected for months, but it finally marked the start of the 2024 NFL draft. 

Now, analysts are already preparing for the 2025 draft less than 10 later. Of course, plenty could change from here until Week 18 come next January, but at least pundits have a baseline on what to expect leading up to the regular season. 

For the Houston Texans, they remain a playoff contender entering 2024 after their lucrative offseason spending. Is it enough to send the franchise to New Orleans for the Super Bowl? According to ESPN, not yet. 

Instead, the Texans secure the 24th overall pick in the 2025 draft and select LSU linebacker Harold Perkins, thus bolstering DeMeco Ryans’ front seven at the second level. 

“Perkins is an ideal fit in DeMeco Ryans’ scheme,” wrote ESPN’s Jordan Reid. “He has spent time at the first and second levels of the Tigers’ defense, but he is expected to be a full-time inside linebacker this season. Perkins is an explosive playmaker, with 13 sacks and 28.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons, but he has to improve his read-and-react skills.” 

Perkins, a native of Cypress, has been a staple of the Tigers’ defense over the past two seasons. He started as a true freshman and impressed off the edge, leading the team in tackles for loss and sacks while earning first-team All-SEC honors. 

Last season, Perkins’ numbers plateaued. While his rep count grew, his production dipped, totaling just three more tackles and two fewer sacks.

He did finish with an identical 13 tackles for loss in comparison to his freshman year production, though this time it was from the inside linebacker role. 

Perkins’ best asset is his ability to blitz. He’s also been an effective run-stopper, though half of his production came on designed blitzes meant for quarterback hits. 

Far from a finished product, it’ll be interesting to see what new LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker does to fix the miscues in Perkins’ game. It’ll also be intriguing to see how the Texans view starters Azeez Al-Shaair and Christian Harris following a prominent season in the AFC South. 

Al-Shaair, who played under Ryans in San Francisco, is coming off his best professional season with 163 tackles. He inked a three-year, $34 million deal with Houston this offseason and should be the starting MIKE backer through at least 2025. 

Harris, a former third-round pick out of Alabama, broke out as Houston’s weakside backer en route to a division title. He totaled 101 tackles and two sacks during the regular season.

Harris made headlines with his 36-yard interception returned for a touchdown in the wild-card playoff win over the Cleveland Browns. Should Perkins be the selection, Harris will be entering a contract year and could be viewed as the odd man out.