The Baltimore Ravens added inside linebacker Trenton Simpson to their defense in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft. There were questions about the pick at the time, as the team already had Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen, but those were quickly answered after Queen departed for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Simpson is expected to take on a massive role in place of Queen, who, next to Smith, leaves a void in the middle of Baltimore’s defense. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh talked about Simpson’s offseason and said he’s looked outstanding and done a great job so far.
“I think he has looked really good. I think he’s done a great job. Trenton [Simpson] is a quick learner – something even as simple as punt protection footwork. He played a little bit as a rookie; the first couple of days of the Phase Two stuff, he really didn’t look very good with the footwork. Like everything else, we’re chasing perfection. We’re confronting every issue. We confronted the punt footwork, and now he looks fantastic. He’s perfect in what he’s doing out there. That’s kind of an example of all of the other stuff he’s doing on defense. He knows what he’s doing out there. The next step will be training camp, preseason games and on from there.”
The fact that Harbaugh says Simpson is a quick learner bodes well for his chances to play a big part in the team’s defense right off the bat in 2024. Baltimore is competing for a Super Bowl championship and needs players who are ready to contribute and give the team quality snaps, with Simpson potentially being one of those players, assuming all goes well.
