While many project the New York Giants to select Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons with the fourth-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, that hasn’t stopped the organization from continuously doing their research and due diligence on all the top linebacker prospects in this year’s class.
We recently learned that New York has been showing “consistent interest” in Temple’s Shaun Bradley. Now we’ve caught wind that the Giants may have their eyes on an even more touted prospect in LSU’s Patrick Queen.
According to Jordan Reid of The Draft Network, Big Blue is set to hold a virtual meeting with the projected first-round pick via FaceTime.
Could Queen Fall to Round 2?
Queen, a four-star recruit out of high school, was somewhat a late bloomer during his time in Baton Rouge. Although, his limited playing time throughout his first two seasons with the Tigers can also be written off to the fact that Devin White, an eventual top-five overall draft pick, was ahead of him on the depth chart.
With White off to the NFL in 2019, Queen nailed down a starting gig on the LSU defense and tapped into the potential that made him such a highly sought-after recruit. Queen went on to rack up 85 total tackles in his junior campaign, including 12.5 tackles for loss.
Yet, Queen’s draft stock didn’t truly take off until the College Football Playoffs came around. It was here where he flexed his unworldly athleticism and quickness for the world to see, culminating in being awarded the Defensive MVP of the 2020 National Championship Game following an eight tackle, 2.5 tackle for loss, one sack performance against Clemson.
From there, the just 20-year-old Queen saw his NFL prospects skyrocket to a projected mid-first-round draft pick. Here’s what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had to say about Queen’s potential at the next level in his overview of the ex-LSU standout.
While other Tigers received more attention, Queen has some of the most eye-opening tape of the bunch. He plays fast, physical and with impressive field confidence for a one-year starter. His ability to diagnose and flow are both very rapid, and he operates with excellent body control and balance to gobble up runners as an open-field tackler. His inexperience will show itself in taking on blocks and finding optimal pursuit angles, but that will get cleaned up in time. Queen is next up from LSU’s linebacker factory, possessing the same three-down ability to hunt, cover and tackle as those before him. He’s an early starter with a sky-high ceiling.
Yet, despite scouts drooling over his ceiling, Queen’s stock has somewhat died down over the past month or so following an injury-plagued combine performance as well as the championship game moving further away from our memory. This has led some to believe the Giants may be able to snag Queen early in round two.
Queen’s Athleticism Puts Recent Giants LBs to Shame
While New York has addressed their linebacking corps this offseason, most notably with the addition of tackling machine Blake Martinez, Queen would add the type of athleticism that has been missing from the Giants’ defense for as long as most could remember.
A trio of Queen, Martinez and Ryan Connelly would give the G-Men the most talented crew of linebackers they’ve had in nearly a decade.
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Giants Draft Report: NY Meeting With Defensive MVP of National Championship