2022 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: OC Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa

Nick puts the spotlight on Iowa cente rTyler Lnderbaum, a candidate who's been linked to the Giants in some mock drafts.

Tyler Linderbaum, OC

Height: 6’2
Weight: 302 lbs.
Class: RS-Junior
School: Iowa
Arm length: 31 ⅛”
Wingspan: 75 ⅝”
Hand size: 10”

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A former three-star recruit out of Solon, Iowa, where he attended Solon High School, Linderbaum was initially recruited to play defensive tackle by the Hawkeyes; he was the 28th ranked defensive tackle and the second-ranked recruit in the state of Iowa. Linderbaum was the Iowa High School Male Athlete of the Year, and a defensive MVP in his junior and senior season.

Linderbaum played offensive line and was a team captain who was very involved in sports in high school. Linderbaum was an excellent wrestler with a 53-10 record, finishing fifth in the state as a heavyweight; he famously defeated Tristan Wirfs in high school. He also was a great baseball player and shot putter for his high school track team.

Notables

Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

A unanimous All-American in 2021 who won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center; he also won the Rimington Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year, reserved for the best OL in the Big Ten. Linderbaum was a two time first-team All-Big Ten, and a prominent leader in the Hawkeyes locker room.

Linderbaum’s tape is a joy to watch. He’s one of the most technically advanced run-blocking centers I have ever seen; that, coupled with his movement skills, are truly rare. Pro Football Focus graded Linderbaum as the best center prospect they’ve ever seen since the 2014 draft (when they started charting college football). Linderbaum had the highest grade of any center in 2020, and set a new record in 2021.

In his entire college career, Linderbaum committed two penalties. He allowed only two sacks and 19 pressures in 2,317 total snaps (1,201 pass blocking). He’s only played center. He won several team-oriented awards for the Hawkeyes including the Iron Hawk Award, the Hayden Fry Award, and the Roy Carver Most Valuable Player (offense) Award.

Todd McShay of ESPN reported a few days before the draft that Linderbaum could fall out of Round 1; if that happens, a team will get an excellent impact football player at an insane value. Linderbaum attended the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine but didn’t test. Here are his Pro Day numbers when he weighed 302-pounds (was 296 at the Combine):

• 40-yard dash: 4.98s
• 10-yard-split: 1.71s (reportedly ran a 1.55)
• Vertical jump: 32.5”
• Broad jump: 9’3”
• 3-Cone: 7.14
• Short-shuttle: 4.38
• Bench Press: 24 reps

Strengths

Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

• Elite athlete at the center position
• Combines excellent burst with elite foot-speed and flexibility
• Explodes out of his stance with rare movement skills
• Very balanced in his approach with excellent reactive quickness to adjust
• Plays with excellent leverage and understands how to stick to blocks
• Wrestling background shows while engaged
• Takes excellent angles of attack on the LOS and up to the second level
• One of the best overall run blockers in the class from a technical standpoint
• Fits his hand quickly inside and readjusts throughout plays to consistently win or reset the LOS
• Insane range to cover ground and reach block defenders several gaps away
• Solid overall power and play strength at the point of attack in base situations
• Maximizes his blocks with excellent hand usage and he consistently drives his feet through contact
• Does well on backside blocks, frames all of his blocks very well
• His combo blocks to the 2nd level are very fun to watch: quick, efficient, closes width, and eliminate defenders from the play
• Has the foot speed to mirror and cut angles off from a distance when in space
• Good overall pass protector who can reset his anchor and adjust his hands to handle power solidly
• Always looks for work when not engaged in pass protection
• A very smart player who can execute many different blocks

Weaknesses/Can Improve

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

• Small overall which can be problematic
• Arm length and wingspan are in the first percentile
• Establishing initial contact is going to be difficult against NFL defenders
• The lack of arm length wasn’t a huge hindrance in college, but it will be something he has to consistently overcome throughout his NFL career
• Is light in the pants; had a solid anchor for someone sub-300 pounds, but he’ll have to be precise with his technique against 350-pound nose tackles

Summary

Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

Overall, Tyler Linderbaum is one of the best-run blockers in the draft, and he does this with only solid overall play strength. He’s wildly athletic and he fits ideally into a zone scheme that can use his elite athletic traits to reach and climb to locate scraping linebackers and eliminate them from the play.

Linderbaum’s ability to use his hands and gain the chest of defenders is incredibly effective and almost as efficient as the precise angles he takes on the LOS and up to second-level defenders. His short arms are a real problem that longer defenders can exploit; it will be more difficult for Linderbaum to make first contact.

He’s also not the most powerful - he’s more finesse than power - but in the right offense that won’t be an issue, especially on a team where the guards can assist him in pass protection.

He’s an elite overall run blocker who is a good pass protector that understands how to maximize his skill-set through precise fundamentals and elite athletic ability for the position. If he falls out of the first round, a team will get a steal early on Day 2.

GRADE: 6.82

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