Linderbaum Expected to Be Ravens Starting Center As Rookie
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OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens had mulled over the idea of moving Pat Mekari from tackle to center in the 2022 season.
However, that plan has changed with the addition of Tyler Linderbaum in the first round of the draft.
"That’s the thing – when you add a really good player, a top player into the top of the depth chart – the whole depth chart just kind of filters out in a great way," coach John Harbaugh said. "Pat Mekari still could find his way into the starting lineup. There’s no doubt about it. He’s a really good player. I’m assuming Tyler is going to come in and start at center – for sure, obviously. We’ll see how Ronnie [Stanley] comes back, but all signs point in the right direction. We’ve got a heck of a right tackle, we think, maybe two.
"We’ve got two veteran tackles we brought in here. There’s some depth already, and I think we may add another offensive lineman into the mix."
Linderbaum, 6-foot-3, 291 pounds, was a two-time all-Big Ten first-team selection, a unanimous All-American, Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, and the Rimington Trophy winner, which is awarded to the nation's top center.
Linderbaum began his career at defensive tackle but he made the transition to center by the end of his freshman season. Linderbaum is durable and played 908 of Iowa’s 934 snaps in 2021 and was only removed during blowout wins.
There are some concerns surrounding Linderbaum with size and frame. However, the Ravens dismissed those concerns.
"Somebody said it on TV, I think; if he was an inch taller and his arms were a half-inch longer, he would’ve been a Top 5 pick, and I believe that," Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz said. "He’s probably one of the better centers we’ve seen come out in a long time. So, it filled a huge need for us.
"He’ll block three guys in one play. He’s a lot of fun to watch. And like [executive vice president and general manager] Eric [DeCosta] mentioned, he’s kind of a consensus guy with all the scouts and coaches. Everyone saw him the same way. You just put the film on and it’s obvious he can play anywhere.”
Linderbaum is the first offensive lineman the Ravens selected in the first round since 2016 when they took Ronnie Stanley.
Expectations are just as high.
"There’s going to be a lot of competition for the starting spots, a certain one spot in particular, but then there’s going to be competition for those backup spots, big time," Harbaugh said. "The thing we’re trying to do is be a physical, punishing offensive line. We want that kind of a mindset in our group, and that’s what Tyler Linderbaum brings to us, Pat Mekari is like that already, and a lot of our guys are. This guy [Tyler Linderbaum] adds to it.”
