Harold Perkins Jr. swears off Saints fandom after being drafted to Falcons
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Harold Perkins won over his new team’s fans almost immediately.
The former standout linebacker for LSU grew up in New Orleans. He played for the hometown Tigers. And he said Saturday he grew up a fan of the New Orleans Saints.
No more.
“Yeah, I grew up a Saints fan,” Perkins told reporters after the Atlanta Falcons selected him in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. “Guess what, though? I ain’t a Saints fan no more.”
The 6-foot-1 linebacker filled a number of roles with the Tigers. After a breakout freshman season, it looked like the sky was the limit on his potential. Fast forward 3 years, and Perkins had to wait until Day 3 to hear his name called.
If the Falcons can find a steady positional home for him and Perkins can stay healthy, they might have a steal.
Perkins collected 17 sacks across his 4 seasons with LSU. He also had 35.5 tackles for a loss, 10 pass breakups, and 5 interceptions. He was a Freshman All-American in 2022, a Second Team All-SEC pick in 2023, and a third-team all-league pick in 2025.
The Saints went 6-11 last season, finishing at the bottom of the NFC South. Atlanta went 8-9 while winning both games against New Orleans. The Falcons have won 4 of their last 6 against the Saints, dating back to the start of the 2023 season.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
