The Green Bay Packers must use the 2020 NFL Draft to provide the finishing touches on a team that won 13 regular-season games and got within one game of the Super Bowl during Matt LaFleur’s first season as head coach.
Between now and the draft, Packers Wire will periodically break down one top prospect fitting the Packers’ roster needs.
Up next is LSU linebacker Patrick Queen:
What he can do
– Has almost an intuitive sense locating the ball carrier; advanced instincts and ability to diagnose the play and close on the ball
– Fantastic play speed; can get sideline-to-sideline in a blink
– Comfortable in space; can carry running backs up the sideline; has requisite speed and athleticism to stay with tight ends
– Uses speed to work around or underneath blocks instead of fighting through them (to varying degrees of success)
– Commands the middle of the field despite being a one-year starter
– Plays like an angry hornet when kept clean upfront
– Demonstrates proper mix of speed, change-of-direction, and contact balance; can mirror mobile quarterbacks in a ‘spy’ role
– Solid tackler but can be overwhelmed once engaged with offensive linemen (particularly on the second level)
– Uses speed to maneuver through the trash on outside runs
– Easy, effortless mover in space; despite limited experience, looks capable as a coverage linebacker
– Can struggle to disengage from blocks
– Undersized (6-1, 227) for an off-ball linebacker
How he fits
If the Packers do in fact draft a linebacker with their first pick, it’s likely either going to be either Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray or Patrick Queen. Both profile as Day 1 starters for the Packers who, to be frank, have no other good options currently on the roster. Mike Pettine’s propensity for playing one true linebacker would work well with Queen, who’s effective when defensive linemen are occupying the man across from them. The Packers base system is a 3-4, but they played loads of 5-2 and 6-1 fronts, with Blake Martinez as the solitary linebacker. Queen would add an instant athletic upgrade with the potential to be a plus defender against the pass.
NFL comp
Deion Jones. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein sees Queen’s ceiling as Thomas Davis.
Where Packers could get him
After Clemson “linebacker” Isaiah Simmons, there’s consensus that Queen and Murray are the next best off-ball linebackers, but the order is unclear. Depending on what teams like Ravens and Raiders do in free agency should dictate how the linebacker position falls down the board. There’s a chance Queen could be available at No. 30. His value may be lower or higher depending on the team, but only slightly, ranging anywhere from a mid-first to an early second-round pick.
Previous Prospects for the Pack