The Pittsburgh Steelers are busy meeting with prospects ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. On Monday, FanSided senior contributor Ryan Fowler reported that Pittsburgh's brass is hosting LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. for a pre-draft visit.
Perkins, a former five-star recruit, saw his draft stock plummet since suffering an ACL injury four games into his 2024 season with the Tigers. Now, a month ahead of the draft, the Steelers are using a valuable 30-visit to meet with the popular defender.
And after witnessing his LSU Pro Day, Pittsburgh could be all-in on Perkins.
NFL representatives and scouts in attendance had Perkins clocking in the mid-4.4s during his two 40-yard dash trials at his Pro Day on Monday. Meanwhile, the official X account of the New Orleans Saints posted a video of Perkins running with a caption '4.38 in the 40-yard dash'.
With the Steelers already expressing interest in Perkins ahead of his Pro Day performance, the team has a whole new reason to be all in on the polarizing linebacker in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could swipe LB Harold Perkins in the 2026 NFL Draft after impressive LSU Pro Day
In addition to running a blazing 40-yard dash, Perkins showed quality explosion with a 35-inch vertical and 10'4'' broad jump. These aren't earth-shattering numbers, by any means, but they check the boxes Pittsburgh would typically look for.
At 6'1'' and 223 pounds with tiny 8 1/8'' hands, Perkins' best tape comes as an edge rusher, but he could be forced to play off-ball linebacker in the NFL. In other words, he's stuck between positions in a bad way.
But the Steelers are okay with that.
If there's anyone who couldn't care less about size for edge rushers, it's the Steelers. Nick Herbig's college listed size was 6'2'' and 227 pounds. The undersized outside linebacker showed up at 6'2'' on the dot and 240 pounds soaking wet for the 2023 NFL Combine. Additionally, Herbig's arms measured at a mere 31 1/4'' inches, and he posted a 4.65 40-yard dash at the Combine—an underwhelming time for a player of his stature.
Likewise, Alex Highsmith entered the league in 2020 at 6'3'' and 248 pounds with a 76 7/8'' wingspan (smaller than Perkins' 77 1/8''). A pre-draft visit for Perkins is proof that the Steelers can look past his small frame. Most teams won't be able to do this.
Pittsburgh's interest in Perkins should be an encouraging sign for Steelers fans, especially after proving that he still possesses 4.4 speed after his ACL injury two years ago. This also comes after Perkins dealt with a hip issue during the 2025 season.
While his tape hasn't been quite as impressive as it was in his first two seasons in 2022 and 2023, Perkins is a former No. 1 linebacker recruit for a reason. The high-profile defender has a chip on his shoulder, and he's out to prove every team wrong that passes on him in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Between the pre-draft meeting and his impressive LSU Pro Day, we can firmly put Harold Perkins Jr. on the map as an option for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the mid-rounds of April's draft.