Tyler Linderbaum may be the most unsung hero of the Baltimore Ravens. These days, centers often go overlooked, but Linderbaum is one of the NFL’s best at the position.
The Iowa Hawkeyes product has picked up a preseason accolade from CBS Sports.
According to Pete Prisco, the Ravens have seven of the top 100 players in the NFL entering 2024.
Linderbaum, who checks in at exactly No. 100, made the Pro Bowl last season and the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2022. His early success in the league was easily foreseeable, given his tremendous achievements in college.
The Solon, Iowa native won the Rimington Award, given to the nation’s best center, his senior year. After losing to Linderbaum and Iowa, former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald raved about him.
“He’s not a good player, he’s a great player,” Fitzgerald said to The Sports Bank, “With freakish athleticism (on his ability to reach the 3-technique from the center position) and his tenacity to finish.”
Like most of Linderbaum’s opponents in college, Fitzgerald also noted the star O-lineman’s wrestling background and how those skills have translated well to football.
Linderbaum was the Ravens’ first-round pick in 2022, going 25th overall. Thus far, he’s certainly living up to the high expectations accompanying him to the league.
And the best is still likely to come.