We listed Patrick Queen as our favorite inside linebacker for the Ravens and our favorite round one pick. They were able to nab our (and their) guy while staying put in round one. One or two thoughts about round one.
Patrick Queen or Kenneth Murray: Who Was Rated Higher?
Listening closely to Eric Decosta’s post-draft press conference last night, it sounded to us as if the Ravens rated Kenneth Murray above Queen. Of course we’re not sure. But it’s as much what Decosta didn’t say about Queen. Importantly, he didn’t say that Queen was his guy all along. He didn’t say that Queen was the top inside linebacker on their draft board. And Decosta easily could have made those comments, and probably should have – if they were true. But he didn’t.
This doesn’t mean they rated Murray dramatically higher than Queen. Maybe it was really close. And maybe they were simply unwilling to give up draft capital to move up and take Murray. Rating these two guys closely, they probably concluded that they were content with either one a bit lower at pick 28. Who knows? It’s the Ravens’ secret and we’ll likely never know – unless Patrick Queen one day puts on that yellow jacket.
Patrick Queen as the Choice. We Love It
But we are ecstatic with Patrick Queen as the selection. As readers know, we favored Queen over Murray, and significantly so. Yes, part of that is projection. We believe Queen, at age 20 and with so few starts, has a lot of green space ahead of him. He’s a poised and smart young man, a very hard worker, and will be surrounded by some strong, smart and very successful key veterans. Patrick Queen is a fabulous athlete with great football talents, as we previously outlined. His body is still filling in and we expect he’ll be able to add some bulk without sacrificing speed. The sky is high for Patrick Queen.
But Jordyn Brooks Over Queen? C’mon Man!
We were a little – actually, a lot – shocked that Seattle opted for Jordyn Brooks at pick 27 right before the Ravens. Brooks is a solid player and we liked him. But sitting here today it’s hard to see how Brooks could be ranked higher than Queen. He just doesn’t project with the cover skills that Queen offers. We often don’t put too much into Wunderlic test results. But many middle linebackers wear the green dot, and Brooks had an incredibly low Wunderlic score at ten. Now that’s unimpressive, to say the least.
Patrick Queen, on the other hand, posted a Wunderlic of 24 – higher than Murray and higher than Isaiah Simmons. He’s poised, and thoughtful too, as was evident in his post-draft presser. Brooks in the first round? We had him as a third round (maybe low second) prospect and his pick at 27 just doesn’t make sense. Maybe time will prove us wrong but we think the odds favor Queen over Brooks – and substantially so.
So how does the pick of Patrick Queen impact the Ravens for the rest of the draft? They have solved their top need. But there’s more to do for that front defensive front seven. And a few other needs. Now where do the Ravens go on day two? We’ll address that in our next post.
