The NFL draft is fast approaching now that we have reached the start of free agency. All eyes in Iowa City will firmly be on center Tyler Linderbaum.
The All-American center is likely to go in the first round and a handful of mock drafts on our network gives an idea of just where Linderbaum might be headed come April.
Per Touchdown Wire, Baltimore Ravens
Linderbaum is the best center in the draft and he should be a high-value target for any number of teams. The Ravens need to sure up their protection for quarterback Lamar Jackson, so Linderbaum is the perfect selection in the middle of the first round.
What Touchdown Wire Says…
When NFL executives send love notes from the podium to individual draft prospects during their combine media sessions, it’s good to pay attention to that. Here’s Ravens EVP and general manager Eric DeCosta on Iowa center Tyler Linerbaum last week:
“We’ve had very good luck with Iowa players over the years. Marshal Yanda, to me, a Hall of Famer someday. When we look at a guy like Tyler Linderbaum, we see a lot of the same qualities: tough, gritty, very, very athletic, very intelligent and smart. [He’s] the type of guy that can really be the centerpiece of your offensive line. So, teams picking in the Top 15, I think they have a chance to get themselves a really good offensive lineman.”
DeCosta also name-checked Evan Neal and Charles Cross, perhaps knowing that neither one of them would be around when it was time for the Ravens to pick. But Linderbaum might be, and his combination of toughness, technique, and athleticism would drastically improve a center position that didn’t really hold up last season. It’s not a sexy pick, and yes, we know the Ravens need all kinds of pass-rush help. But if you want to lead with a multi-faceted run game as the Ravens do, your center had best be on top of everything.
Next, another team looking for a center gets Linderbaum