Patrick Queen, LB, LSU
The Packers likely won’t be limited to just Kenneth Murray when it comes to linebacker options with the No. 30 pick. If they are seeking more of an inside linebacker, Patrick Queen from LSU is an ideal option that could step right away and contribute as a starter.
Thomas Davis of NFL.com expressed how Queen displays an impressive ‘three-down ability to hunt, cover and tackle’ and that enables him to project as being ‘an early starter with a sky-high ceiling.’
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.
In 2019, Queen played in 15 games and totaled 85 combined tackles (12 for loss), three sacks, one interception, and two passes defensed. He played a pivotal role for a dominant LSU defense that ultimately went on to win the 2020 NCAA National Championship Game.
The intangibles Queen possesses aren’t as impressive as Murray. He stands at 6’0″, weighs 229 lbs, and has a 31 5/8″ wingspan with 10″ hands. His NFL Scouting Combine results featured a 4.5 40-yard dash, 18 reps on the bench press, a 35.0″ vertical jump, and a 125.0″ broad jump.
It would be advantageous for the Packers to add more depth at interior linebacker by taking a prospect like Queen. While they signed Christian Kirksey, he’s appeared in just nine games over the last two seasons due to various injuries.
