It has been several years since the Pittsburgh Steelers have had a top inside linebacker, but they invested a lot in the position this offseason to make sure it is a strength of the team. Payton Wilson was drafted in the third round as arguably the top ILB talent coming out of college, and Patrick Queen was signed to the most lucrative external free agent contract in franchise history.
ESPN surveyed NFL execs, coaches, and scouts around the league to give a ranked order of the best inside linebackers and Queen landed at No. 4.
“Closing speed and blitzing ability,” one AFC exec said via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “He’ll make a big impact on Pittsburgh’s defense.”
Queen should be the team’s every-down linebacker this season. His youth and athleticism will be a big asset to the team. He will turn 25 years old in August, and he already has four seasons of experience under his belt. He was named second-team All-Pro in his final season with the Baltimore Ravens after recording 133 total tackles, 84 solo tackles, nine tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, six QB hits, one interception, and five pass breakups.
He entered the league at 6002, 229 pounds and is listed at 232 pounds on the Steelers’ website. He has sideline-to-sideline speed, running a 4.50-second 40-yard dash coming out of college. He has the fifth-most sacks at the position since entering the league in 2020 with 13.5 across four seasons. I put together a film room with clips of all 13.5 of his sacks, and I came away impressed with his closing speed and violence taking on blocks in the backfield.
Over the last seven seasons, the Steelers’ ILB sack production is a nearly linear down trend. In 2017 they got 10 sacks from the position, while they have had just six over the last three seasons combined. Elandon Roberts, Wilson, and Queen are all capable blitzers and should turn that trend around for the team.
Even with his accomplishments at this young of an age, questions remain about Queen. The main criticism he receives has to do with his production before and after having first-team All-Pro ILB Roquan Smith next to him in Baltimore. Can Queen be “the guy” without a top talent next to him?
“Lack of instincts might show now that he’s not playing next to Superman [Smith],” said another NFL exec.
Without a direct quote, Fowler said that there are specific concerns about Queen’s ability to play match zone coverage. That is where the defense plays zone, but certain defenders end up following their man if conditions are met. It relies on a player’s play recognition to make it work.
He is stepping into one of the top defenses in the NFL, so I personally think the concerns of not playing next to Smith are overblown. Queen should have plenty of opportunities to make an impact given the talent around him in Pittsburgh.
There was quite a bit of variance in how he was ranked. While he averaged out to No. 4, he received a No. 3 vote and also received an unranked vote. He finished as an honorable mention in last year’s survey.
Ahead of him on the list were Buffalo Bills ILB Matt Milano at No. 3, Ravens ILB Roquan Smith at No. 2, and San Francisco 49ers ILB Fred Warner at the top spot.
