NFL Draft 2022 tracker: Live blog and pick-by-pick analysis
It seemed unlikely that the Ravens would use the 14th overall pick on Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum, even though the team had a need at center and Linderbaum was considered the best one in the draft.
But after picking Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton at 14 and collecting another first-round pick by trading wide receiver Marquise Brown to the Arizona Cardinals, Linderbaum suddenly came into focus.
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Following a trade back with the Buffalo Bills, the Ravens used the 25th overall selection on Linderbaum, a move that should help solidify the team’s offensive line.
At 6-foot-2 and 296 pounds, Linderbaum is considered undersized for a center. However, he’s an outstanding athlete and a technician and is regarded as having Pro Bowl potential. He won the Rimington Award as the nation’s top center last year.
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Big Board ranking: Linderbaum was ranked No. 19 on Dane Brugler’s list of the top-300 prospects. He was Brugler’s top-ranked center.
Introduction: Linderbaum blends elite balance, power, quickness and explosiveness with technique and tenacity. Hampered by a foot injury suffered in the Citrus Bowl, Linderbaum missed combine and pro day workouts, but he conducted his own pro day on April 11. He ran 4.98 in the 40-yard dash, had a 1.71 10-yard time and bench pressed 225 pounds 24 times. He has faced criticism for being undersized, to which he said, “I’m confident in my abilities.”
“I think the center is a tempo-setter,” Linderbaum said. “They’re the guy that sets the tempo for the offensive line. That’s something I tried to do right away, make a day-one impact when I first moved to that position. That’s something I’ll try to do whenever I get to my team. So, I think it’s important that you’re the guy that holds guys accountable and works their butt off.”
How he fits: The Ravens prefer bigger centers, so even as speculation persisted in the pre-draft process that they would target Linderbaum, there were legitimate questions about whether he’d fit their offensive scheme.
Baltimore felt that he would, believing that he was a good enough athlete and a technician to thrive. Linderbaum, who played six sports in high school and was a standout wrestler, uses leverage and good footwork to open up holes in the run game. He’s a relentless run blocker and adept at getting to the next level and cutting off would-be tacklers.
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Linderbaum has only 31 1/8-inch arms, so it will be interesting to see how he fares as a pass blocker. The Ravens, though, believe that they have finally added stability to the center position.
Second guess? At least to outsiders, Florida State pass rusher Jermaine Johnson II was widely considered a slam dunk pick for the Ravens at No. 14. They bypassed him there and did so again at 23 when they traded their pick to the Bills. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta had a third shot at Johnson in the first round and tabbed Linderbaum instead, leaving edge rusher as a major hole going into Friday’s Day 2.
Rookie impact: Linderbaum figures to start from Day 1 for an offense that loves running the football. He’ll have plenty to learn and he’s going to have to get stronger, but he should make a major impact as a rookie in anchoring the team’s offensive line.
Depth-chart impact: Harbaugh made clear that the expectation is that Linderbaum comes in as a starter. The Ravens have two returners in Patrick Mekari and Trystan Colon who have started games as center, but Harbaugh said that Mekari is a candidate to start at another position. At the very least, Mekari figures to occupy the sixth offensive lineman role, an important one with the uncertainty about left tackle Ronnie Stanley’s health.
Fast evaluation: This pick may have seemed like a letdown because it was acquired when the Ravens traded their best receiver. However, it shouldn’t be. Linderbaum is a really good player with Pro Bowl potential. DeCosta vowed this offseason to improve the offensive line and signing Morgan Moses and drafting Linderbaum is a big step toward doing that.
(Photo: Robin Alam / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
