The Atlanta Falcons may not have had a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but they had no trouble finding talent in the later rounds. In fact, the team landed two key defensive contributors on Day 3 of the draft.
Fourth-round pick Kendal Daniels and sixth-round pick Harold Perkins Jr. have both played extremely well at linebacker for the Falcons this season. Daniels won a starting job out of training camp, while Perkins' role continues to expand each week.
In the Falcons' 45-24 win over the Saints, Perkins had his best game yet. The former LSU standout finished Monday's blowout with 10 tackles (seven solo), 0.5 sacks and one pass deflected.
After the game, Perkins couldn't help but talk a little smack to the Saints fans. Watch below, as shared
by the Falcons' social media team.
Walked in, took over 🤝 pic.twitter.com/tNk6RSzd7t
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 6, 2026
Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski even pointed out how well Perkins performed on Monday Night Football, saying he thought the rookie linebacker "played outstanding" against the Saints.
We agree with Coach Stefanski, and the former Tigers standout only seems to be getting better with additional playing time. For a team that worried about how it was going to replace Kaden Elliss, it's impressive to see two Day 3 picks contributing this much so early into their careers.
The Falcons will be back in prime time again in Week 5, this time a Sunday Night Football showdown against the Baltimore Ravens.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons rookie sends message to Saints after prime-time win
