Pittsburgh Steelers select LSU EDGE Harold Perkins Jr. in way too early 2025 NFL Mock Draft

Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. And while defenders can play at a high level well into their 30's, Watt's contract is up after the 2025 season, meaning a succession plan will need to be in place.  Well, Travis May of A to Z Sports NFL Draft may […]

Rob Gregson NFL News Writer
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Oct 14, 2023; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. (4) gets his fingers caught in the helmet of Auburn Tigers wide receiver Jay Fair (5) but there was no flag during the first quarter at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports
Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

And while defenders can play at a high level well into their 30's, Watt's contract is up after the 2025 season, meaning a succession plan will need to be in place. 

Well, Travis May of A to Z Sports NFL Draft may have the perfect solution:

Perkins in Pittsburgh?

It's hard to tell where Harold Perkins will line up in the NFL. LSU can't even make up their mind on how to best deploy him. He's athletic enough to get to the quarterback off the edge, fast enough to play coverage against anyone, and strong enough to stuff the run at off-ball linebacker. Mike Tomlin is going to love him. –Travis May A to Z NFL Draft

Now, a Perkins selection comes with a double-edged sword. Sure they would select the potential heir apparent to T.J. Watt, but based on early projections, (including May's) Perkins is viewed as a lock top-10 pick. 

Picking that high wouldn't mean a disappointing season, but it would mean a pretty bad one. And if Pittsburgh struggled that much, one would believe QB would be atop their draft board, especially if picking in the top 10.