Patrick Queen had a bit of a falling out with the Baltimore Ravens last offseason, which ultimately led to him spurning the team and heading to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not hard to fault him. The Ravens were never going to give him the money Pittsburgh did, and he landed a three-year, $41 million deal.
Queen’s first season in Black and Gold was fine. Playing next to Roquan Smith in Baltimore helped mask a lot of his flaws, but by the end of the year, he was playing good football. Good enough to warrant $14 million a season? Probably not, but here we are. Trenton Simpson was supposed to fill the royal-sized void. That didn’t happen.
Simpson still has the tools to be a difference-maker, but he’s heading into a make-or-break third season with little room for error. Meanwhile, Chris Board and Malik Harrison both left in free agency to the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively. Whether Simpson steps up or not, Baltimore needs more help next to Smith.
Ravens host UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger for a top-30 visit
Per Ian Rapoport, the Ravens are set to host fast-rising draft prospect Carson Schwesinger on a visit Monday. He’s flying up boards—and for good reason. At this rate, it wouldn’t be shocking if he pushed his way into the first round.
After working out for 30 NFL teams last week, #UCLA LB Carson Schwesinger is on a top-30 visit to the #Ravens today, source said. The rising prospect could be in play for Baltimore at No. 27 to pair with All-Pro Roquan Smith in the middle.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 7, 2025
Schwesinger isn’t your typical linebacker prospect, and that’s the point. He’s not built like your standard off-ball guy, but he plays like he’s been running NFL defenses for years. The instincts jump off the tape. The way he reads blocks, beats angles, and gets to the ball before most guys even process the play—it just looks easy.
At UCLA, he went from walk-on to All-American in basically a season and a half. He led the FBS in solo tackles, showed real range in coverage, and anchored a defense that leaned on him week after week. He also wore the captain’s “C” and was a special teams demon—two things that won’t show up on stat sheets but definitely matter.
Sure, he's a bit undersized. He can get swallowed by bigger bodies in the run game, but that’s not a dealbreaker. Not when the effort, processing speed, and open-field tackling all show up as clearly as they do here. As a running mate next to Smith? It makes a lot of sense.
The Ravens don’t need flash. They need a linebacker who can do the dirty work, cover backs, stay disciplined, and tackle in space. Schwesinger checks every box—and maybe a few more.
If he’s the guy who locks down that second spot next to Smith, Baltimore won’t be reminiscing about Patrick Queen or Malik Harrison any time soon. Especially not while they’re trying to figure things out in Pittsburgh.