If you choose not to join "the baa-ing queue of sheep" and "choose to be amongst the last to board" that's the risk you take. Maybe they're not sheep at all but frequent flyers who know what happens when the overheads get filled up with monster suitcases that should have been checked in. This isn't limited to EZY and its ilk either. Same on BA, including in business class.
A few minutes standing in a queue before boarding must be better than having to check a bag in or to have to put it in an overhead somewhere well away from your seat so you have to force your way against the flow of disembarking pax just to get to it.