Ronnie Perkins 2021 NFL Draft Overview
Position: EDGE
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 253 pounds
School: Oklahoma
Pro day results
40-yard dash: 4.74 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.78 seconds
Bench press: 25 reps
Vertical: 32 inches
Broad jump: 9’7″
Ronnie Perkins 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Ronnie Perkins was the best defender on an Oklahoma defense that was sneaky good last season. He was a four-star recruit and he was ranked as the 66th overall player in the class of 2018. Being from St. Louis, MO, he spurned the Texas Longhorns to play a little closer to home at Oklahoma. He stepped on the field and made an immediate impact for the Sooners as a true freshman. That season he had five sacks, which led the Sooners, and eight tackles for loss. As a sophomore he started every game and his production continued to rise. He was second on the team in both sacks, which six and tackles for loss, with 13.5.
The issues started towards the end of Perkins’ sophomore campaign. Before their bowl game, Ronnie was suspended for a failed drug test. This caused him to miss the bowl game and the first five games of his junior year. It speaks to his skill-set that in a limited season, Perkins still accumulated 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in six games. The potential character issues can’t go completely under the rug, but a team will get a solid contributor later than they should.
Strengths
- Has great balance around the edge
- Great change of direction athlete
- First step burst is a huge positive as he is quick off the line of scrimmage
- Fantastic at backside pursuit; never out of a play even when it’s not to his side
- Great use of his hands and very technically sound at this stage
Weaknesses
- He is a tad undersized, especially for an edge defender
- Tended to get eaten up against the run due to size limitations
- Character concerns (failed drug test going into a bowl game)
- Not a peak athlete. In his own class other rush ends have run in the 4.5 range while Ronnie ran a 4.74.
NFL comparison: Olivier Vernon
Teams With Need at Position: Every single team always has a need for edge rushers. But teams that employ a base 4-3 front will be the best scheme fit for Perkins. Look at teams like the Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks, Las Vegas Raiders, and the Minnesota Vikings.
Projection: Late first, most likely second round
Bottom Line on Ronnie Perkins
Ronnie Perkins might not ever be a high end, 15 sack, type of edge rusher. His comp of Olivier Vernon is apt in that regard as well. If Perkins hits in the NFL, it will be as a player that is routinely in the 7-11 sack range. Perkins will not make a lot of Pro Bowls, but he will be a constant disrupter for whatever defense employs him. ESPN named Perkins a freshman All American, and he was second team All Big-12 as a sophomore.
Perkins is an extremely explosive player off the snap. This will be his make or break talent at the next level. In the NFL, tackles will look for Perkins to over commit off the line. If Perkins is able to couple his first step with an array of counter moves, then the team that drafts him will have hit the lottery. The first thing he will want to do after getting drafted is put weight on his frame. At 253 pounds Ronnie will rank at the bottom of the league in terms of weight at his position. Adding some weight and cleaning up the edges of his profile will go a long way into making Perkins a 10-year starter at defensive end.
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