2022 NFL Draft: Iowa Hawkeyes’ Tyler Linderbaum the top center?

The center position is always one of the most interesting in football. It’s important for an NFL team to have a center that can affect both phases of the game, communicate, and be a leader. The last two drafts have seen 17 centers get drafted, but just one in the first round (Cesar Ruiz to New Orleans). It’s a position of importance, but hardly gets addressed early. It’s possible we see another center crack the first round in the 2022 NFL Draft, Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum.

Iowa Hawkeyes center Tyler Linderbaum might just be the top center in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Tyler Linderbaum was a three-year letterman in high school on the offensive and defensive line and was recruited to play defense. Linderbaum earned district defensive MVP as a junior and senior and was first-team all-state as an offensive lineman as a junior and senior as well. He earned a spot as an Army All-American as well. His last two seasons of production included 81 tackles, 10 TFLs, and five sacks.

Linderbaum also lettered in three other sports: baseball, track and field, and wrestling. He placed fifth in state in the heavyweight division as a wrestler, and qualified for the Drake Relays in the shot put.

At Iowa, Linderbaum was buried on the depth chart on defense as a freshman, but in 2019 made the shift back over to center. He was instrumental to that offense and earned All-Big Ten honorable mention. His game went to another level in 2020, as Linderbaum was one of the three finalists for the Rimington Trophy, and earned first and second-team All-American honors by numerous outlets.

2021 could be even bigger for Tyler Linderbaum, and that’s where the focus for the 2022 NFL Draft begins. How does his game stack up? Let’s look at his summer scouting report!