PFF: Brandon Linder is the Jaguars' Most Underrated Player
Ever since the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Brandon Linder in the third-round (No. 93 overall) in the 2014 NFL Draft, they have had oneof the top interior linemen in the NFL manning the middle of their offensive line. In Jacksonville, Linder and his impact are far from underrated. Now, it appears as if those outside of TIAA Bank Field are recognizing his play as well.
Since 2014, Linder has started 70 games for Jacksonville, including three playoff games. He has been the team's full-time center for the last four seasons and has continued to elevate his play, even despite all of the Jaguars' win-loss struggles. His play has yet to garner much national attention, but this week he was named the Jaguars' most underrated player entering 2020 by Pro Football Focus thanks to his level of play over the years.
"Playing on a contract worth over $50 million in total, it’s clear that the Jaguars recognize the value Linder has provided. But he’s still a player you don’t hear about often in conversations about the league’s top interior offensive linemen," PFF wrote. "Since entering the league in 2014, Linder ranks 11th among qualifying guards and centers in overall grade, and he ranks fourth among centers since taking over the starting job there in 2016, trailing only Jason Kelce, Alex Mack and Travis Frederick. That looks like a resume that is deserving of at least one Pro Bowl appearance to me."
Considering Linder has yet to be named to a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team in his six years in the NFL, it is more than fair to say he has been underrated up to this point. The big knocks against Linder have been his injury history (missed 13 games in 2015 and seven in 2018) and the fact that he has only played on one winning team since being drafted.
While it isn't exactly fair for Linder to not garner national respect because of the Jaguars' own struggles since he himself has performed well, it is the nature of sports. Until the Jaguars start winning consistently, there is a good chance Linder's level of play at center will continue to fly under the radar.
But the Jaguars themselves know what they have in their veteran center. Aside from the fact that he was one of the first homegrown talents the current regime signed to a contract extension, the Jaguars have seen Linder continue to improve in front of their eyes and become a leader of the offense. Linder was one of the key pieces to Jacksonville's 10-6 record and playoff success in 2017, which has not gone forgotten in Jacksonville.
Linder also did his part to push back against injury concerns in 2019. After years of missing at least one game per year to injuries, Linder played all 16 games for the first time in his career last year.
"He’s having a good year. He’s probably one of the brighter sports of the team in a bad situation [and] not playing well, but he’s actually been playing well," head coach Doug Marrone said toward the end of last season.
"Actually, I think recently what you’ve seen is his play has actually gotten better, so he’s finishing stronger and that’s what you want to do. You want to start strong and finish stronger, so I think he’s doing a very good job of that. He’s done a good job of maintaining his body during the year. Last year he’s always been nicked up and hurt, but he’s been pretty consistent this year and I think he’s done a really good job of managing himself and playing well.”
