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.
