Patrick Queen might be the best linebacker in the 2020 NFL Draft so we’re going over his draft profile. Queen was a prolific linebacker for the National champion LSU Tigers. It’s a program that has produced Deion Jones, Devin White, and Kwon Alexander have entered the league in recent years. You can’t go wrong with an LSU linebacker in the past. Will Queen follow suit? Let’s dive into the Patrick Queen 2020 NFL Draft Profile.
I think the best quality about Queen is his coverage ability. Queen made a jaw-dropping interception against Alabama. Queen really understands coverage and can play in zones. Just like Deion Jones and Devin White, Queen excels in this area. Queen allowed just 165 yards on 355 coverage snaps this past year.
The toughest part when it comes to Queen is the overall resume. Queen just doesn’t have enough starts. He only started 12 of 15 games this year. Queen is really a late bloomer. The production is great but it took him a while to really get going. Do you want to take someone in the first round who didn’t start every game his final year in college? Maybe it’s not such a big deal at a school like LSU.
The athletic traits are hard to ignore. 4.5 speed at the combine and that was with pulling up with a hamstring. Queen is a bit on the smaller side at 229 but he benched 18 reps and had a 35 inch vertical. He checks in at around the same size as other LSU counterparts. In 2019, Queen notched 85 tackles, 3 sacks, and an interception.
Patrick Queen might only be 229 but he is a forceful linebacker. He can really get downhill and tackle. The best quality is still his range. It’s classic LSU linebacker. Speed and range to make plays all over the field. He’s just such a smooth player and showed progression as the season went along.
At the end of the day, Queen showed enough flashes to solidify his spot in the draft. The one year of production is a bit of concern. LSU’s track record helps ease those concerns.
