If you asked Green Bay Packers fans what the club should work on in the offseason, you’d likely get a variety of answers. Some argue that the offense need additional weapons and offensive linemen. You’ll hear that the team needs another RB to join Aaron Jones.
More often than not, however, Packers fans will be yelling and raving about how the defense must improve next season. However, fixing a defense is much easier said than done.
Jeff Hafley has already been named the team’s future defensive coordinator. With such a large cap space, they will almost certainly add some big stars on that side of the ball alone. There is one name that appears to be most associated with the Packers: Baltimore’s Patrick Queen.
Who is Patrick Queen, and why is he linked to the Green Bay Packers?
Patrick Queen has been the Baltimore Ravens’ starting ILB since the 2020 season. Some older Packers fans are familiar with him, as he was widely reported to be the team’s pick in the infamous 2020 draft. Following Raheem Mostert’s dominance in the NFC Championship, the Vikings sorely needed someone to help secure the run in the future.
Instead, Green Bay chose Jordan Love. Although it was a contentious move at the time, it may have stood the test of time, especially if the Packers end up with Queen.
The Ravens likewise suffered a dismal finale to their 2019 season, falling to a squad with a superior run game, the Tennessee Titans. The Ravens embarked on a mission to improve their run defense this summer, signing Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe. The Packers were much more confidence in their current players and were not on the same quest.
Having said that, the Charm City team’s journey hasn’t been without challenges. While Baltimore did shut down Derrick Henry during the Wild Card weekend in 2021, their run defense was poor at points that season. The Ravens’ run defense has improved year after year, and they will lead the league in 2021. Part of this was due to the team’s poor passing defense that year, but Queen’s presence also contributed.
Since the Ravens notoriously traded for Roquan Smith in 2022, they have had perhaps the league’s finest ILB tandem. That implies Patrick is elite, correct?
As a result, one team received a long-term answer at quarterback, while the other chose a linebacker from the reigning NCAA champion squad.
How Good is Patrick Queen? For Green Bay Packers fans, here are his strengths and weaknesses.
Queen is a really remarkable player. But, if so, why did Baltimore go ahead with the trade for Roquan in the first place?
Stats are not everything, but Queen has been a playmaker to say the least. In only four years, Queen has 13.5 sacks, 11 total FF/FR, and four interceptions. He is the best pass rusher an ILB can be, and he has a flair for forcing turnovers. He received some votes for DROY in 2020, and in 2023 he was named second-team All-Pro as well as Pro Bowl.
During the Roquan trade, Queen had been a letdown. It is worth noting that he has been most successful after the Smith trade, but this does not imply that Roquan has made him great. Eric DeCosta has a habit of drafting late-bloomers, players that take three to four years to break out and become excellent. Sound familiar, Packer fans?
Queen was definitely that type of player. While Ravens fans underestimated Patrick prior to the Roquan trade, his boom-or-bust playstyle early in his career was not popular with everyone. He won games for the Ravens by himself on several occasions. The 2020 Bengals game, in which he was named Defensive Player of the Week, and the 2021 primetime game against the Browns, in which he had 5 TFLs spring to mind.
Patrick has become a more consistent player, particularly in his poor areas of tackling and screen/pass coverage. However, it remains a weakness, which is why Packers supporters should be cautious about pursuing Queen.
How Would Patrick Queen Fit Into Jeff Hafley’s System?
New DC Jeff Hafley is said to be a free-form coach that employs a variety of methods and systems depending on his players and opponents.
That being said, he particularly enjoys press-man covering. While Patrick Queen excels at zone coverage, he falls short of elite man-to-man defense. Getting burnt by Travis Kelce and other well-known tight ends tarnished Ravens fans’ perceptions of him, despite how good he was everywhere else.
If the Packers acquire Queen, they will need to move him around depending on the play. If the team plays man coverage, Patrick should be moved up the line or used as a hole player/spy. He’s not bad at covering running backs, but when it comes to TEs/WRs, he’s targeted 9 out of 10 times.
