![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="439" width="780" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
Patrick Queen is entering a contract year under pressure to prove he’s still an essential part of the Baltimore Ravens’ starting defense. His task isn’t made any easier by a rookie who has the edge over Queen for one key reason.
Trenton Simpson can win any competition with Queen because this year’s third-round draft pick is “someone you could leave on the field on passing downs with how well he does in underneath coverage,” according to Football Gameplan owner Emroy Hunt, speaking on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast.
Whether there’s a genuine competition brewing or not, the Ravens selecting Simpson 86th overall in the 2023 NFL draft sent a clear message to Queen. So did the decision not to pick up his fifth-year option.
Both things mean the path is clear for Simpson to make the starting spot next to Roquan Smith his own, provided the undersized former Clemson star proves he can handle being an every-down linebacker at the pro level.
Rookie Has the Edge in Any Battle to Start
Handling the more physical aspects of playing inside linebacker will be tough for 6’3″, 225-pound Simpson, but his greater speed could increase his value. That’s provided his height and quickness show up in coverage.
Tracking receivers in space was rarely a problem for Simpson during three years with the Tigers. He was at his most stingy during the 2021 season, per PFF College.
Queen can’t begin to match the same proficiency in coverage. Not when the 23-year-old allowed 9.1 yards per completion and a 77.3 completion percentage last season, per Pro Football Reference.
Simpson is an upgrade in this area, something not likely to be lost on Ravens’ defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. The play-caller likes to have middle linebackers play matchup zones with various coverage responsibilities, something Smith explained to NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger for NFL Total Access.
Macdonald’s scheme can have its drawbacks. Like leaving linebackers isolated in space against dynamic wide receivers, tight ends or running backs.
When there’s a breakdown, the Ravens usually give up a big play, like against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17, when Najee Harris burned Smith for this touchdown catch.
Simpson could help reduce any similar gaffes as a matchup weapon in certain looks, but coverage skills alone won’t put the rookie ahead of Queen in the pecking order. He’ll also need to showcase his talents as “a movable blitzer and attacker of outside runs,” per Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports.
Combining those traits with greater comfort against the pass can separate Simpson from Queen, but the latter won’t let go of his job without a fight. Not with his next contract at stake.
Veteran Can Play Himself Into Bumper Payday
There’s a lot of money at stake for Queen, whether he gets paid by the Ravens or another NFL team. Queen couldn’t convince the Ravens to cough up the cash this offseason, despite the improvement in his performances after the mid-season trade with the Chicago Bears to land Smith.
The 28th pick in the 2020 draft had been skirting dangerously close to draft bust status before Smith’s arrival, but the pair soon formed a dynamic rapport at the heart of Baltimore’s front seven. Their connection showed up vividly for this sack of Steelers’ quarterback Kenny Pickett.
Rushing the passer wasn’t a problem for Queen in 2022, when he mustered five sacks and 13 pressures, according to Player Profiler. His ability to play downhill can be an asset in more aggressive defensive schemes.
Teams running those schemes will be watching for Queen to continue wrecking offenses in the same way this season. If he can, there’ll be plenty of suitors for a gifted athlete who’s still just 23.
A long line of suitors would give Ravens’ general manager Eric DeCosta a dilemma. He didn’t want to pay up this year, and DeCosta can hold firm if Simpson gets on the field more often than Queen.
0 Comments