Overview
Position: Interior offensive lineman
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 310 pounds
School: Boston College Eagles
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.91 seconds (second-best among offensive linemen)
Bench press: 25 reps
Vertical jump: 30.5 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 9 inches (second-best among offensive linemen)
Broad jump: 7.61 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.54 seconds
Chris Lindstrom 2019 NFL Draft Profile
Chris Lindstrom, a true interior offensive lineman from Massachusetts, was not one of the highly coveted names coming out of high school. Lindstrom was a three-star recruit who in his senior season helped his running back rush for 3,835 yards and 49 touchdowns. He was named Massachusetts Co-Offensive Player of the Year his senior year, and was named Player of the Year his junior year. His father was a Hall of Fame lineman at Boston University and spent three seasons in the NFL. His uncle, Eric, also played defensive end, and his younger brother Alec is a true freshman offensive lineman at Boston College, so Chris comes from good NFL roots.
Lindstrom’s freshman year in 2015 saw him get playing time in 12 games. The final nine games were all started at right guard. His sophomore year, Lindstrom started all 13 games at right guard.
During his junior year, Lindstrom earned All-ACC Second Team honors at tackle. He was also BC’s highest-graded offensive lineman the entire 2017 season and led the line to rank second in the ACC, 13th nationally, with only 13 sacks allowed. He was the key piece in helping the run game average 220.4 yards per game. In his final season at Boston College, Lindstrom earned All-ACC First Team honors. He played in all of BC’s games that year, and started them all at right guard. Nearly every snap was played on the offense as well.
Lindstrom played some of his junior year at right tackle and right guard. Where he excelled the most throughout his college career was on the interior of the line and where a team will surely draft him this spring. Lindstrom made quite a name for himself, and looks to project as a high round draft pick.
Strengths
- gets out of blocks quick and climbs to the next level;
- exhibits exceptional mobility;
- really good range;
- keeps his eyes up;
- great lower body power;
- absorbs rushes with his lower body strength;
- very active hands;
- does a good job resetting with his hands;
- quick feet;
- natural athlete;
- stays engaged with defenders;
- solid on pulls and slide protections;
- can win with quickness;
Weaknesses
- overruns blocks at times;
- gets overeager at the second level;
- needs to keep a lower center of gravity;
- not very lengthy;
- can take an off angle at times;
NFL Comparison: David DeCastro
Teams With Need at Position: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins, New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals
Projection: Late first round
Bottom Line
Chris Lindstrom is arguably the best interior lineman in this class. His athleticism, quickness, and lower body strength set him apart from his counterparts, and make him a monster of a blocker. His agility gives him tremendous range on pulls and slide protections. He can maul a defender and quickly get up to the second level and open up another lane for his ball carrier. His hand technique is superb and keeps his eyes on his target like a top guard should and he strikes with great force.
The main issue I see with Lindstrom is he gets a bit too anxious at times and will overrun his defenders. When he gets to the second level, shifty linebackers can get by him because of his speed and quickness that he doesn’t gear down on. This is something that can be corrected. Something that can’t be corrected is his length. He has the versatility to play both guard and tackle at times, but with his length, I don’t think there will be a chance he plays on the outside. He’s solid blocking in his frame, so his length may not end up being too much of an issue. Overall, I could see a team in need of a guard in the middle of the first snatching him up at the given opportunity.
