The 2020 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Patrick Queen 2020 NFL Draft profile.

Background

Position: Linebacker

Size: 6-foot-1, 227 pounds

Class: Junior

2019 stats: 85 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, 1 interception, 2 passes defended, 1 fumble recovery

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWqAW-Cad0w&t=1s

Patrick Queen may not have received as much love as some of the rest of LSU’s stars this season, but he was a very impressive player in his own right. His play over the 2019 season has set him up well to be selected in the first round or two of the 2020 NFL Draft.

The four-star recruit decided to stay in his home state for college at LSU. He played sparingly as a freshman with just six total tackles. Queen made a bigger impact for the Tigers in 2018, as he started four games. He finished the season with 40 tackles, five tackles for loss and one sack, as LSU won 10 games, including the Fiesta Bowl over UCF. As a junior, he started most games for the Tigers, which helped them win the National Championship. He totaled 85 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and three sacks in his final college campaign.

Queen has solid physical tools that will make him an appealing draft prospect to plenty of NFL teams. He is currently projected to be selected at the end of the first round or the beginning of the second round.

Strengths

Patrick Queen

Queen has great speed, which helps him in being a good linebacker in the modern era. He can keep up with players while in coverage and he flies to the football in the running game. Once Queen knows where the play is going, his closing speed pops out on tape. His speed will allow him to stay on the field for three downs in the NFL.

His awareness and quickness in diagnosing plays are also very impressive. He reads what quarterbacks are doing to his defense and how linemen are blocking to start off the play. When he gets that information he moves to where he needs to be to make the play and rarely gets caught out of position. If he can do this at a similar level at the pro level, Queen has a chance to be a game-changing player.

His man to man coverage isn’t perfect, but he can match up with running backs and tight ends well. He has the speed to keep up with running backs. While he doesn’t have the height traditionally required to cover tight ends, his athleticism and speed make him a good candidate to be able to do that in the pros at a solid level.

Weaknesses

He had a fantastic junior season for LSU, but he lacks experience. Queen was only a one-year starter and he didn’t even start every game. With only four starts as a sophomore, Queen will be one of the most inexperienced linebackers in the class. He seemed to have a good grasp on the nuances of the position, but there is still a lot to be learned.

Queen is undersized for a linebacker, which helps his speed, but he needs more play strength. LSU’s defensive linemen took up a lot of blockers, so Queen was able to run freely. When blockers did get to him, he could be overpowered and he struggled to shed blocks. Adding more strength would make him a more complete linebacker.

Getting to the ball carrier and weaving through traffic are strengths, but he could be a more efficient tackler once he gets there. He should wrap up more when tackling so that some of the more slippery players don’t escape his grasp. While Queen is capable of laying down hard hits, he should improve his form tackling for routine plays.

Projected Draft Range: First Round Pick-Second Round Pick

Make sure to check out our brand new NFL Draft page for more content!

You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers!