Patrick Queen | LB | LSU
Elevator Pitch
Queen is a rangy, sideline-to-sideline linebacker with top-notch athleticism and quick processing abilities. His value in coverage and his ability to chase down ball-carriers in space make him a very intriguing three-down defender at the next level. He’s a bit of a one-year wonder, but his 2019 tape looked like that of an impact starter in the pros.
Vitals
Height | 6-0
Weight | 229
Strengths
If you’re a team looking to add speed to your linebacker depth chart, Queen is a player you should target.
His ability to change direction and burst coming out of his breaks gives him fantastic range as a tackler. His straight-line speed is high quality: he’s quick to accelerate to top speed once he diagnoses the play. Queen also possesses very good longitudinal athleticism, in that he can backpedal quickly and with great body control, as well as show off explosive burst when running downhill. That athleticism gives him value in coverage, as his hip fluidity and long speed makes him an ideal linebacker to kick out into coverage against tight ends, running backs, or even slot receivers.
Queen’s athleticism is on full display on tape, and part of that can be attributed to his quick mental processing skills. His instincts allow him to play at full speed and utilize his fluidity and acceleration to the best of his ability. He is quick to diagnose a play, and he does a very good job of positioning himself in the right manner to make a play.
Weaknesses
Though Queen has a lot of things going for him in his skill set, there are still areas in which he can improve. He’s on the smaller side for a linebacker, and that can translate to subpar play strength from time to time. He doesn’t offer too much value near the line of scrimmage, as he isn’t great at taking on blocks and disengaging to stop the run. This affects his ability to blitz, as well.
He has shown promise as a tackler, but there are some times where Queen doesn’t play with perfect form, or he struggles to bring more powerful ball-carriers down. He can go for a shoestring tackle on occasion, and his anchor strength could get a little bit better in run support. Plus, he only has one year as a full-time starter at the collegiate level, and he didn’t explode onto the scene until the second half of the 2019 season. While his tape is impressive, that could be cause for some minor concern.
Projection: 1st Round
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