Brand new dynamic

Ravens inside linebacker group, including Queen and Harrison, could alter team’s defense

For as relentless and suffocating as the 2019 Ravens defense was, it might have been as unconventional as any unit, too.

Defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale unleashed blitzes at a rate higher than any defense last season. No unit operated out of its base package at a lower rate and the Ravens defense was among the top of the league in its usage of dime packages, which features six defensive backs on the field.

The propensity for the team to use several defensive backs was a twofold byproduct of the strength in the secondary and the team’s early-season struggles at middle linebacker.

Just a month into the season, the team brought in two free agents, LJ Fort and Josh Bynes, to solidify the linebacker group. By midseason, safety Chuck Clark was a de facto middle linebacker in defensive back-heavy packages.

After investing two of their early draft picks on inside linebackers, and bringing back Fort for his first full season in the scheme, the Ravens boast a position group that could relieve the ails of January’s season-ending playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans.

The loss to the Titans exposed concerning problems along the defensive line but also unmasked issues at inside linebacker that were concealed over the course of the team’s 14-game winning streak.

The investment of draft capital in Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison, first- and thirdround picks, respectively, showed the desire of a team seeking to resolve a key issue that derailed a promising season. Queen projects as a smaller, new-age linebacker who has the speed to cover sideline to sideline, while Harrison is a larger player who also runs well.

“I feel like I’ve progressed in every part of my game, just from [a] run standpoint to [a]