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!
Linderbaum Has Quickness/Explosion/Athleticism Combo
The three traits above may sound similar, and two do play into the third one. But, all three are part of Linderbaum’s game and play into how well he’s able to operate in the Iowa Hawkeyes run game.
Not unlike a sprinter at the Olympics, Linderbaum gets out of his stance extremely quickly, which is crucial to gaining leverage quickly on reps. His explosion is evident as well, and it’s huge for him to get moving well on perimeter runs. Linderbaum’s athleticism is also evidenced by his very good movement skills, including his change of direction skills and straight line speed.
This blend of skills is important for what happens post-snap and pre-contact. Linderbaum uses these things to help with the very good angles he takes when he works horizontally and then upfield in the zone game. He also gains leverage much quicker and makes life difficult for defensive linemen and linebackers.
As a zone blocker, Linderbaum excels. His explosion and quickness give him the ability to get to his responsibilities and work to the outside shoulder of defensive linemen on reach blocks. He gets in great position to get to the second level and seals off players there with great effectiveness. Linderbaum’s vision is very good on the perimeter, and he’s able to find defenders to take out of the play when he peels back to look for work.
In pass protection, Linderbaum shows off his toughness and foot quickness, as he’s always looking to help out and finish where he can. His anchor is very good, and despite giving up some initial ground, he’s able to reset his balance and gain leverage back.
Where can Tyler Linderbaum Improve?
The biggest improvements Linderbaum can make before the 2022 NFL Draft come down to two major things. The first is his balance. There are times where he gets over-aggressive and leans too far forward. This causes him to lose balance, and more importantly, lose leverage, allowing more tactical interior rushers to get by him. He needs to stay more composed and in a good stance more consistently at the point of attack.
Linderbaum can also be more effective with his hand usage. His raw power and wrestling background help him a lot in pass protection and on power runs, but better hand placement (keeping them in tight) will help him with leverage, resetting the line of scrimmage, and displacing defenders more often.
2022 NFL Draft Outlook
After all this, is Tyler Linderbaum the top center in the 2022 NFL Draft? Right now, I’d say the answer is yes. His combination of athleticism, quicks, explosion, and toughness will excite many NFL teams as they make their way out to see the Hawkeyes play this season. He’s going to fit in both power and zone schemes, and he does a great job with runs to the perimeter.
Obviously, as stated above, improvements can be made. If anyone can do that, Linderbaum can, not only because of the rapid improvement so far in college, but also because of the great reputation the coaching staff at Iowa has of molding great talent.
There are teams that will likely have a need at center in the 2022 NFL Draft, and it’s very possible that Linderbaum becomes the next first round pick at the position and the first since Ruiz. Another year of excellent football from his part will get him there.