Baltimore Ravens – The Legendary Linebacker Franchise
Throughout the NFL’s history, the Baltimore Ravens have been known for their defensive prowess. Both of the Ravens’ Super Bowl victories (2001 & 2013) have come with their defense being at the tip of the proverbial spear.
The current day Ravens, who are led by 2019 NFL MVP QB Lamar Jackson, are still carrying on the linebacker dynasty that the previous Ravens teams thrived off of. One of these young linebackers is LSU’s Patrick Queen. Queen is the Ravens’ 6’0”, 230-pound linebacker who plays with perhaps, the highest level of aggression and rage in the entire AFC.
Queen was drafted by Baltimore with the 28th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of LSU. Ever since he’s been in the league he has been building his own linebacker legacy with the Ravens. Queen anchors the right side inside linebacker position, a spot I foresee him occupying for a very long time.
Patrick Queen is an explosive combination of strength and instincts. He thrives on anticipation and explodes violently at the point of contact. In fact, unless you’re an offensive lineman, with a crazy head of steam, there’s a high chance he will run you over, where other linebackers attempt to evade. Patrick Queen’s natural success at linebacker is, without question, entertaining and effective, but how does he compare to other legendary Ravens linebackers?
Just like we took a look yesterday at the comparison between Caleb Williams and Justin Fields final two years in college, I wanted to compare the first four years of the three other great Baltimore linebackers, to Patrick Queen’s first four years in the league. So, let’s have a look. First up… Mr. Raven – Ray Lewis.
Ray Lewis (1996-1999)
Ray came into the league by way of the University of Miami in the 1st round (26th overall pick) by the of the 1996 NFL Draft. His legendary linebacker career is, without question, one of the greatest careers of any NFL player who played the game… at any position. Ray’s intensity and passion led the Ravens for… well maybe to this day? Ray Lewis is, in my opinion, the best middle linebacker who ever played. Lets take a quick look at his stats to compare them later to Patrick Queen.
- Games 60
- Solo Tackles 482
- Tackles for Loss 19
- Sacks 13
- Forced Fumbles 13
- Interceptions 7
Ray Lewis finished his rookie year 6th in Defensive Rookie Player of the Year voting. He made the Pro Bowl 3 times in his first four years (97, 98, 99). Ray was also an All-Pro for those same years, with a first team All Pro selection in 1999. That’s an almost impossible bar to beat but let’s take a look at the next linebacker who was trained under Ray and carried on his legacy.
Terrell Suggs (2003-2006)
Suggs was a linebacker who looked a lot like Ray Lewis. He played with unmatched intensity, relentless effort, and violence. Terrell Suggs appeared, on the outside, to be a young mentee of Ray Lewis. Their game’s were very similar and their busts in the Hall of Fame will be too. Suggs was drafted by the Ravens in the first round (10th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft out of Arizona State. Let’s see his key stats.
- Games 64
- Solo Tackles 164
- Tackles for Loss 47
- Sacks 40… yeah… 40!
- Forced Fumbles 12
- Interceptions 3
The biggest difference between Ray Lewis and Suggs is their mission. Ray was a middle linebacker and Suggs was primarily a pass rusher, but still technically a linebacker. Terrell Suggs earned the AP Defensive Rookie of the year in 2003, and made two Pro Bowls in his first four years (04, 06).
One more to go before Queen. This next one is a new Raven, but a prototypical Raven linebacker no doubt.
Roquan Smith (2018-2021)
Roquan Smith was drafted in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft (8th overall) by the Chicago Bears. He spent the first four and-a-half seasons of his career in Chicago, where he quickly established himself as one of the league’s best linebackers. Smith is more of a technician than a bruiser but that’s because that’s how the league has transformed since the days of Lewis and Suggs. Instinctually, Roquan Smith may be better than Suggs or Lewis. He has unbelievable reaction to the snap and his defensive recognition is off the charts. Roquan Smith’s best attribute is his ability to make open field, solo tackles. So… the stats?
- Games 61
- Solo Tackles 348
- Tackles for Loss 43
- Sacks 14
- Forced Fumbles 1
- Interceptions 5
Roquan was selected as a second team All Pro in 2020 and 2021. Roquan Smith is the leader of the Ravens defense today. His counterpart is our featured linebacker Patrick Queen.
Patrick Queen (2020-2023)
Patrick was drafted out of LSU in the first round (28th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft. His impact on the Ravens defense was immediate as was his foundation for being one of the leagues hottest young superstars. Let’s see the fourth year backer’s stats.
- Games 63
- Solo Tackles 283
- Tackles for Loss 36
- Sacks 13.5
- Forced Fumbles 5
- Interceptions 3
Patrick Queen shares the defense with Roquan Smith which is the primary reason the Ravens defense is ranked 2nd in the league in points per game, 2nd in yards per game, and 1st overall in the entire NFL. If there is one franchise in the NFL known for defense, it COULD be the Ravens. However, if there is one franchise in the NFL known for legendary linebackers, it IS the Ravens, and Patrick Queen is one of their future greats.
