Ravens LB Patrick Queen is beginning to change the narrative

In a world dominated by instant gratification, many tend to expect immediate results when an NFL player is drafted. And if the desired results aren’t there early on, that player is sometimes unfairly labeled a bust, oftentimes prematurely.

Such has been the case with Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen.

The 28th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Queen showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie finishing with 106 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 10 QB hits, 3.0 sacks, two pass deflections, an interception, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.

The splash plays were there for Queen. But for as many highlight-reel plays as he made, he had just as many gaffes in coverage or in run defense.

And when Queen got off to another lackluster start in 2021, many began already writing him off as a first-round bust. However, over the last few weeks, Queen has begun to change that narrative.

Ravens LB Patrick Queen is proving he’s not a draft bust

There was plenty of hype surrounding Queen heading into the 2021 season. After an up-and-down rookie season, the Ravens were hoping that the newly-turned 22-year-old would be able to take that next step in his sophomore NFL season.

Unfortunately, Queen struggled with the same issues. It wasn’t until his role and responsibilities were diminished with veteran Josh Bynes taking over the starting job alongside him that he truly began to shine.

Prior to Sunday night’s game, Queen had not missed a single tackle. On top of that, he had allowed just two catches for eight yards over that same timeframe. In Week 11 alone, Queen was targeted four times and didn’t allow a single completion.

Suddenly, Queen was doing less thinking and more reacting. It became clear that the MIKE role came with too many responsibilities for him, at least at this stage.

But with Bynes taking that burden off of him, Queen has been allowed to focus on his performance and do less thinking. The results have been very promising.

It was always going to take time for the uber-athletic 20-year-old out of LSU to find his way in the NFL. But rather than give him that time, many simply wrote him off.

The Ravens are being rewarded for their patience now. Patrick Queen is quickly changing the narrative and rewriting his story.