Ravens select Clemson LB Trenton Simpson with 86th overall pick in third round of NFL draft: ‘Well worth the wait’

Trenton Simpson grew up idolizing former Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith. Now he’s looking forward to working alongside the All-Pro in Baltimore.

The Ravens used the No. 86 overall pick in the NFL draft on the former Clemson standout Friday night, using their second selection on a position most did not project as an area of need. Whatever Simpson was lacking in the eyes of the other 31 teams that caused him to fall to the middle of the third round, he certainly makes up for in confidence.

“I can fit in any scheme,” Simpson said. “I’m the most versatile linebacker in this draft. Y’all are not going to regret this pick. I’m going to go down as one of the greats for the Baltimore Ravens.”

That’s a bold statement considering the team’s history at the position — Hall of Famer Ray Lewis, 2011 Defensive Player of the Year and two-time All-Pro Terrell Suggs and 1997 Defensive Rookie of the Year and four-time Pro Bowl selection Peter Boulware, to name a few.

Then there’s Smith. He came over last season in a trade with the Chicago Bears, who got the Ravens’ second-round pick this year as part of the deal. Between Chicago and Baltimore, he had 169 tackles, 103 of them solo, including 11 tackles for loss and 4 1/2 sacks on his way to being selected for the Pro Bowl.

But Simpson has reason to feel good about joining a unit that also includes rising young star Patrick Queen.

The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Simpson was ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s top available player on the board at the time the Ravens picked him and was widely considered one of the top inside linebackers in the draft, given his versatility and that he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds.

A former running back and a five-star recruit in high school, Simpson — the No. 1 outside linebacker in the 2020 recruiting class — allowed just 406 yards in his career on 612 coverage snaps in three years at Clemson, according to Pro Football Focus. He was a hybrid defender for the Tigers, with coaches often relying on his versatility by using him as a nickel on one play and an edge rusher the next.

Along the way, he racked up 87 tackles, including 22 1/2 for loss, 12 1/2 sacks, six pass breakups and three forced fumbles over 37 games (27 of them starts) at Clemson, where he was a Butkus Award semifinalist last season after tying for third on the team in tackles with 77, including four for loss, as well as garnering 2 1/2 sacks, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles in 616 snaps over 12 starts.

“He’s gonna help us a lot of different ways,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “I see him as a four-down linebacker eventually.”

What Simpson’s selection means for fellow Queen’s future, however, remains to be seen.

The Ravens have until Tuesday to decide on the 23-year-old’s fifth-year option to keep him on the roster through 2024. Simpson and Queen are similar players in many ways, and though Queen was one of the Ravens’ bright spots on defense last year, posting a career-high 117 tackles, picking up the option would cost $12.277 million, according to Over The Cap.

Shortly after Simpson was drafted, Queen tweeted, “Sheesh.”

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said the team is likely to wait until the deadline to make a decision about Queen’s option.

“Patrick is, in my mind, one of the better [weak-side] linebackers in the league,” DeCosta said. “I think he’s a Pro Bowl linebacker in the making. In Trenton, we get a guy who was honestly the very best player available.”

As for Simpson, DeCosta said the Ravens had seven to eight players they were considering in the third round, a spot many expected the Ravens to take a cornerback after picking Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers at No. 22 overall on Thursday. By the time their pick came around, they were down to one name.

“You have to take the best player,” he said. “That’s what we do.”

Added Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz: “When you put the film on, you watch him go from sideline to sideline. He can close ground very quickly in pursuit.”

Put another way, Simpson who is someone who should see playing time in a multitude of roles for the Ravens, including on special teams.

“My strongest position is in the box,” Simpson said. “I want to adapt to any scheme and just be a playmaker. That’s how I pride myself — making plays and being versatile.”

He also relishes the opportunity to learn alongside two of the league’s best in Smith and Queen, two players Simpson said he’s watched highlights of.

“I love the way they play,” he said. “They play like me. They play fast, physical football and they hit anything that’s moving. I’m excited to come in and bring my talents and learn from the vets.”

That Simpson was still available to the Ravens where he was drafted was something of a surprise, he said. It also served as a motivator against his critics.

“It was definitely longer than I expected, but this was well worth the wait,” Simpson said. “To be a Baltimore Raven, to go in there with the guys you already have in the locker room and to add me and my mindset, we’re gonna be great. We’re gonna win some championships, definitely. I’m ready to work.”

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