As a product of midwestern football, Tyler Linderbaum has been drinking the water that has produced great linemen like Marshal Yanda and Brian Bulaga. After watching the tape, it’s clear why he has the hype as potentially the best Linemen in the draft. While he could be one of the best linemen in the draft this year, he has some tough competition in Evan Neal, Charles Cross, and Ikem Ekwonu. It will be exciting to see the first linemen off the board. The three-star recruit out of Iowa and the 18th defensive tackle committed to Iowa but quickly moved to the offensive side soon after.
Linderbaum has been on the receiving end of many awards and accomplishments, including 2021 preseason first-team All American and All-Big Ten. In 2020 he was one of the three finalists for the Remington Trophy and more numerous first, second, and third-team honors. Linderbaum hasn’t been the most well-known or vocal college athletes. He has just stuck his head down and worked to get where he is today.
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Player Bio
Name: Tyler Linderbaum
Jersey: No. 65
Position: Center/Guard
School: Iowa
Class: Redshirt Junior
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 290 lbs
Games Watched: Wisconsin (2021/2020) Nebraska (2020/2021) Michigan (2021)
Major Injury History: None
Player Breakdown
Pass Blocking (14/15)
Film on Linderbaum shows how he can be a great pass protector and allow the quarterback to get comfortable, trusting that he can step up in the pocket when necessary. Last year he mastered using his broad base to set in and kept his hands up, making him an excellent pass blocker. One aspect that needs improvement is his ability to read first steps efficiently, especially when matched up with smaller, shiftier defensive linemen who utilize speed over power.
Run Blocking (15/15)
Linderbaum is an absolute road grader while in run sets, and he uses his dynamic quickness to move the defense out of his way in a very violent fashion. When needing to climb a level, he has the feet and agility to grab any linebacker and put him in a bad position on the play. Using great feet and hand placement while bulldozing defensive players out of the way allows Linderbaum to be a positive in the spread run game consistently and has the power to be able to run power runs as well.
Anchor (13.75/15)
Linderbaum is an absolute menace on the interior line to move defensive tackles out of the way. For being slightly under the average weight of NFL centers, he makes up for it by being country strong and using his mass and inertia to move his opponent wherever he needs him to go. Once he has set his anchor, he is almost immovable. On occasion, he is beat by a rip technique to counter his anchor, but rare.
Footwork (9.5/10)
There isn’t a player on the interior line in college who has his footwork level. His footwork is where you can quickly see his wrestling and defensive linemen background. He utilizes his feet making it impossible to bull rush or move past him. Not to mention how hard it is to get him off his block while running blocking—going into the snap if you plan to get him off balance, good luck with that.
Mechanics (9/10)
While getting caught up in his athleticism is easy, his hand placement knowledge and mechanics are equally impressive. Furthermore, the ability to use another player’s momentum against themselves by having the hand placement and the body control to beat the man in front of him has helped him improve his game from his freshman year to now.
Athleticism (9/10)
Linderbaum had me shocked while watching his tape! He might be the most athletic interior linemen in the last few years. His bio stats are not impressive, but his athleticism more than compensates for any size shortcomings, considering how he can flip his hips and get upfield to the second level while having the agility to move on the line like a dancing bear.
Versatility (8.25/10)
Due to him being a little smaller, compared to other guards in the league and college, he might have a hard time moving to guard, but his mechanics and footwork would make up for it. Not saying he couldn’t potentially fill in for a series or two if need be, but if a team tries to make it his full-time position, they should think twice about it.
Length (8/10)
He plays at an excellent position and uses superior pad level and length to his advantage. While he isn’t the tallest of the biggest in the draft, he does make up for it by using his length and body control to his advantage. While Linderbaum isn’t a lengthy lineman, he has just enough length to make it work, and boy does it work. He won’t be the guy who is labeled as a generic freak, and he is ok with that. Instead, he prides himself on being the most intelligent guy on the field. Paired with his strength and skill set, he is a force in the middle of the field.
Control (5/5)
His power and control in the run game are up there with other greats in college, but it’s not at the level it should be to be the unanimous best limen off the board. Linderbaum is an absolute monster regarding how tough and physical he is. He shows it game in and game out that he isn’t afraid to get down and dirty with the big boys on the other side. This is one of his most prominent areas of strength with his plays and one that NFL teams will admire. Linderbaum balances it out with all of his power by having excellent body control. He isn’t just a brute; he is a savant when it comes to his movement.
Player Summary
Overall, Linderbaum has consistently demonstrated the skills necessary to be one of the best interior linemen to enter the draft this year and might be in the argument to be one of the better centers over the last few draft classes. With his athleticism and his physical nature, he has the tools to be one of the greats. Any team that has the opportunity to draft him and doesn’t will end up regretting it.
Rookie Projection: Starting Center
Third Year Projection: Perennial Pro Bowler
Final Grade (91.5/100): Potential Top-10 Pick
Player Comp: Corey Linsley/Jason Kelce
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