1. Baltimore Ravens are betting a high upside athlete with Trenton Simpson
The big reason the Baltimore Ravens are betting on Trenton Simpson here is his athletic ability. As we noted in the past slide, a lot of the skill set that Simpson brings comes strictly down to his athletic profile. As a slot, he is best in man because he is not only bigger than his opponents, he can run with them as well.
As a rusher, and run defender, he is best when he can run off the edge unblocked and make tackles that involve his straight-line speed. The nuances of the game are not there, in part because he did not have a real role until last season, but he does have athletic ability.
Trenton Simpson was drafted with pick 86 of round 3 in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.84 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 43 out of 2652 LB from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/VVjDua53wF pic.twitter.com/zbrkZEcfXj
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 29, 2023
What makes Simpson so interesting for the Ravens is that he is bigger, and more athletic than Patrick Queen.
With pick 28 in the 2020 NFL Draft, the #Ravens selected Patrick Queen, LB, Louisiana State.
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 24, 2020
He posted a great #RAS with poor size, elite speed, great explosiveness, at the LB position.https://t.co/sFjmeNsuJh#RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/Zs6wPONEk8
The reality is that Patrick Queen was also raw, and only had a year as a linebacker when the Ravens drafted him that high. They saw how that went, but at least waited until round three to take Simpson. Still, the reality is that they profile similarly and Simpson may have more upside.
It is notable that Queen did not have things click until Roquan Smith was drafted. This tells me that Smith had a lot to do with him taking that step, and the thought is that Smith could do the same with Trenton Simpson. The Baltimore Ravens could trade Queen. They could also have Simpson sit for one season, or play that big slot role that Kyle Hamilton did. Then, like Chuck Clark moving on for Hamilton, Queen could be out the door, and Simpson could be a year more ready, and now next to Roquan Smith.
That is why the Ravens bet on this upside, and that is why they will continue to work on his development at linebacker.