Green Bay Packers: 5 Top targets with No. 30 pick in 2020 NFL Draft
By Joe Kipp
2. Patrick Queen, LB, LSU
Arguably the biggest need for the Packers at the moment is inside linebacker. The team let Blake Martinez walk away in free agency but still managed to sign free agent Christian Kirksey. Martinez will play with the New York Giants next season, while Kirksey figures to be the team’s No. 1 player at the linebacker position.
Even with the addition of Kirksey, the Packers lack serious depth at linebacker. Oren Burks, a former third-rounder, has yet to show much development in his two seasons. Ty Summers, a seventh-round rookie in 2019, was almost exclusively a special teams player last season. The Packers need another playmaker in the middle of the field.
Enter LSU’s Patrick Queen, one of the most athletic linebackers in the 2020 NFL Draft. After winning a National Championship in January, Queen elected to forgo his senior season. Even though he only had one season as a starter, there’s plenty of good things on Queen’s tape that make him an elite prospect.
Queen’s 40-yard dash (4.50 seconds), vertical leap (35 inches) and bench press (18 reps) were all impressive at the NFL Combine. Mixed with his production in 2019 (85 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, three sacks, one interception), Queen would be a slam-dunk pick at No. 30.