Packers' Pursuit of Patrick Queen in NFL Draft Should Shut Door on Clay Matthews Reunion

The Green Bay Packers might be better off using the No. 30 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft on a linebacker over a wide receiver due to the lack of elite LB prospects in this draft.

In an effort to captain their defense with a more-skilled playmaker, reports claim the Packers have an interest in LSU linebacker Patrick Queen, who is viewed by many as the best linebacker prospect in this draft not named Isaiah Simmons. They even met with him this week (virtually, of course).

A Clay Matthews reunion would have made for a good storyline, but the interest in Queen should squash any thought of Matthews coming back home.

Queen isn't the biggest linebacker, and he struggled with deconstructing blocks in the run game, but this is a top-shelf athlete at the linebacker position with excellent speed, tremendous range in zone coverage, and a high football IQ that should enable him to start Day 1 in a Mike Pettine defense where a lot of responsibility is placed on the middle linebacker.

Queen can fly all over the field while making plays as a run-stuffer and as a coverage linebacker. If the Packers pick him over a wide receiver at No. 30, they could replace the production of Blake Martinez while upgrading at the position due to his freaky athleticism.