Baltimore Ravens third round pick fuels Patrick Queen trade speculation

The Baltimore Ravens had plenty of directions they could have gone in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft. They could have gone with a cornerback, or some offensive line, and defensive have never hurt. However, the team went with linebacker Trenton Simpson.

Baltimore Ravens draft Trenton Simpson in round three

While we will talk plenty about what Trenton Simpson brings, it is hard to not have an initial reaction wondering what this means for Patrick Queen. We speculated before the 2023 NFL draft that the team may have Queen on the trade block. It is hard to say that adding Trenton Simpson would calm down that talk.

Trenton Simpson is almost the exact same type of player. The fact that he fell to round three despite being a player who may jump in with no dropoff from the former first-round pick may tell you more about Queen than Simpson, though.

Simpson is almost a complete hybrid, but last season he transitioned to more of a traditional linebacker role. Still, it is obvious that he is in the run-and-chase role. There are times when Simpson can struggle to diagnose, but a lot of that can be relieved by the fact that Roquan Smith will now be next to him.

The Baltimore Ravens saw that the addition of Smith helping sort things out for Queen pre-snap saw Queen improve. While some could see that as a reason to bet on Queen, the Ravens see that and think that they can throw in a player who is rawer, and because Smith is so smart, that player will be better off. So, Simpson may be a run-and-chase player who needs to be pointed in the right direction, but next to Roquan Smith, he may end up flying around like a playmaker.

The reality is that Simpson will be on a cheap four-year deal. Queen will probably see his fifth-year option declined now. The Baltimore Ravens could use this to hardball Queen into negotiations, but this pick probably means that Queen is on the way out.

We will see if the Baltimore Ravens can find a way to move Queen this weekend, or if it will be down the line. Either way, it is hard to see this pick and not think immediately about Patrick Queen.