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Baltimore Ravens top 3 offseason moves paying off this season

By Chris Schisler

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 22: Jimmy Smith #22 of the Baltimore Ravens and Anthony Levine Sr. #41 warm up prior to the start of the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 22, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. Baltimore defeated Cleveland 31-15. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 22: Jimmy Smith #22 of the Baltimore Ravens and Anthony Levine Sr. #41 warm up prior to the start of the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 22, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. Baltimore defeated Cleveland 31-15. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – OCTOBER 11: Inside linebacker Patrick Queen #48 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates with teammate linebacker Malik Harrison #40 after returning a fumble for a fourth quarter touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium on October 11, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – OCTOBER 11: Inside linebacker Patrick Queen #48 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates with teammate linebacker Malik Harrison #40 after returning a fumble for a fourth quarter touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium on October 11, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

2. Drafting Patrick Queen:

The first round of the draft went about as perfectly as it could for the Ravens. They got the best rookie linebacker, while other teams reached for linebackers before the Ravens were on the clock. Kenneth Murray has 38 total tackles with 20 of them being solo tackles. Jordyn Brooks has been dealing with an injury yet in three games he had just one tackle. Isiah Simmons has 11 total tackles this year.

Guess what Patrick Queen has done? He has 44 total tackles this year, 32 of them solo tackles. He has two sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown.

Counting Isaiah Simmons as an inside linebacker, Queen was the fourth one taken in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Ravens got the player that fit their defense, the player that they wanted and a player that they recognized as the most pro ready prospect at his position.

Related Story. Patrick Queen is already an elite LB. light

Queen is off to the kind of start that makes you think he could be a foundational player for the organization. Being this good this early is evidence that this was the perfect first round pick, the only best case scenario there was. This was a draft pick that helped the 2020 Ravens and will help the Ravens for years to come. A star middle linebacker picked in the 20’s of the NFL Draft? That obviously has worked out well for the Ravens in the past…

Queen has already won an AFC Defensive Player of the Week award. ESPN projects that he will have 117 total tackles on the season, that would certainly be an impressive season for any linebacker. This happens to be a rookie linebacker. Queen has made the inside linebacker position an area of strength for the purple and black. The Ravens replaced very serviceable players like Patrick Onwuasor and got a star instead.

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