The NFL Draft Profile for Tyler Linderbaum is that he is among the best in the field. The nation’s top center and last season’s Rimington Trophy winner enters the NFL draft as a potential top-10 selection. Linderbaum was redshirted in his freshman season in 2018. He is coming out of college a year early after what was his redshirt junior year. He did not participate in Iowa Pro Day or the NFL Combine in March, although he was invited. The center was nursing a minor foot injury suffered in the Citrus Bowl, and did not want to potentially re-aggravate it before the draft.
NFL Draft Profile: Tyler Linderbaum
As a recruit, Linderbaum was a three-star defensive tackle and the number-one-rated player out of the state of Iowa. He received just two offers out of high school and was switched to the offensive side of the ball once he arrived at Iowa. Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeye training staff developed Linderbaum into one of the best run blockers in the country. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the top center in college football last season. They also graded the center with a 96.5 run blocking rating. Additionally, Linderbaum was not flagged for a single penalty all year and allowed just one sack and four quarterback hurries.
Linderbaum is expected to be a first-round selection, and many mock draft boards have him landing in the top 10. At 6’-2” and 296 pounds, Iowa’s first Rimington Trophy winner has shown elite speed in-game film and exceptional knowledge of the game. Linderbaum is comparable to Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles, a veteran NFL center with 11 years of experience. Kelce is a top-five center in the NFL who has a very similar size to the Solon, Iowa native. The New York Giants and Carolina Panthers are in need of a top-tier center. Both of their picks fall within the top 10. It’s possible that Linderbaum falls into place at one of those organizations. Linderbaum is the third-highest-rated offensive line prospect in the NFL draft.
