OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Patrick Queen stepped onto the most sacred area of the Baltimore Ravens team and didn’t reflect upon the franchise’s history at that position. He instantly went into fast-forward mode.
Lining up in the middle of the Ravens’ defense, Queen revealed the impact he can make during the first team drill of Baltimore’s training camp, blasting through the line to stop running back Mark Ingram.
Queen was the third inside linebacker selected in this year’s draft, but he faces the biggest challenge of any NFL rookie defender in following the legacy established by Ray Lewis and C.J. Mosley. In the Ravens’ 24 years of existence, the middle linebackers they’ve drafted in the first round have reached the Pro Bowl 16 times.
The 28th overall pick, Queen learned quickly what it means to play the top spot in Baltimore’s defense.
“All eyes are on you, so everything you’ve got to do, you’ve got to do it to the best of your ability,” Queen said. “You’ve got to be that leader. You’ve got to carry yourself well. You’ve got to be that vocal guy in and out.”
Unlike the first seasons with Lewis and Mosley, there’s more uncertainty surrounding Queen heading into his NFL debut on Sept. 13 against the Cleveland Browns.
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Check out some highlights that make former LSU linebacker Patrick Queen a top prospect in this year’s NFL draft.
Queen is being asked to start right away in the NFL when he didn’t even start last year’s opener for LSU. He didn’t get into the starting lineup last season until Week 4 when an injury forced some shuffling.
Queen also doesn’t have the benefit of playing in any preseason games or joint practices. With the pandemic forcing teams to remain isolated during training camp, he won’t get his first hit against another team until he collides with Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb.
Over the course of two weeks, the Ravens have learned that Queen is fast and confident — and especially confident about being fast. Asked about how his speed would match up against Lamar Jackson, Queen believes he could hold his own.
“That’s the ‘PQ’ special speed,” Queen said. “I’ve got to come out guns blazing and show that off the first game.”
Queen is following a similar fast track by starting right away. Of the 17 inside linebackers drafted in the first round over the last decade, 14 have started at least eight games and 10 finished with 14 or more starts.
Baltimore gave Queen an added vote of confidence by allowing him to relay defensive calls at different points in camp, although safety Chuck Clark is expected to continue to wear the headset helmet and serve as the chief communicator between the defense on the field and the coaching staff. But, when watching practice, Queen looks comfortable talking and pointing to teammates even though he’s the youngest starter on the field. He turned 21 on Aug. 13.
“He’s going to be a special player,” said Calais Campbell, a five-time Pro Bowl defensive end. “Obviously, he’s a rookie and he’s going to have some growing pains, but he gets it. I think that most people who watch him, they can tell he’s going to have a great career. But we’ll see how fast he starts. I think he’s going to have a big season this year. I think we’re going to be able to depend on him and he’s going to come up big for us.”
Over the last two decades, the Ravens have been known for fielding some of the best defenses and best middle linebackers. Lewis, a 2018 Hall of Fame inductee, was the centerpiece of defenses that finished in the top five nine times. When Mosley manned the middle from 2014 to 2018, Baltimore allowed the fourth-fewest yards (322.9) and points (20.1) over that span.
Baltimore was the NFL’s fourth-best defense last season, but it showed some uncharacteristic cracks in its run defense. Rotating between three middle linebackers (Patrick Onwuasor, Josh Bynes and L.J. Fort), the Ravens gave up 4.4 yards per rush, the most in a single season in franchise history.
In revamping the front seven, Baltimore added Campbell and defensive lineman Derek Wolfe in free agency and drafted a middle linebacker in the first round for the third time in team history. Expectations are certainly high for Queen, but he places even higher standards on himself.
“If you’re not confident, you’re not going to be very good,” Queen said. “I learned that quick in college. If you’re not sure about what you’ve got to do, you may as well be 100% to the football. Every day I come in, I study, [and] I study at home. Just trying to get the plays down pat. Trying to know everything inside-and-out, so when I come on the field, I can be extra confident, so, ‘Hey, you’ve got to do this, or you’ve got to do that.’”
The Ravens have praised Queen for being conscientious and picking up the scheme quickly. The coaches don’t expect him to be perfect. They’ve just told him that if he is going to make a mistake, “make it a 100-miles-per-hour mistake.”
“With Patrick Queen, he’s what you want in a first-round pick,” said Fort, who has played alongside Queen for most of camp. “He has the talent, he understands defensive concepts, he has some ‘dog’ in him, so he’s going to be as good as he wants to be.”