Iowa C Tyler Linderbaum

6-foot-2
296 pounds

Yahoo Sports' 2022 NFL draft grade

6.13 — possible first-rounder; possible immediate starter

TL;DR scouting report

Ideal zone-blocking center whose run blocking, aggressiveness and smarts could make him a Pro Bowl regular if he can learn to handle mass and power consistently

The skinny

A 3-star Rivals recruit in the Class of 2019, Linderbaum picked the Hawkeyes over Iowa State and spent his redshirt season as a defensive tackle. Moving to the offensive side of the ball in 2019, he won the starting center job, which he'd hold for the next three seasons. Linderbaum looked ready for the position switch immediately and developed into one of college football's best centers. He gave up his remaining eligibility and declared for the 2022 NFL draft.

Upside

• Highly athletic mover who blasts out of his stance and covers ton of ground

• Ideal short-area quickness for movement run game

• Rare balance, great footwork and limber lower half — doesn't end up on the ground much

• Wrestling background shows up in leverage battles frequently

• Bumper-car blocker whose momentum doesn't stall on initial contact

• Plays with a defensive mentality — seeks to be the aggressor and initiate contact

• Seeks to gain inside hand positioning quickly

• Executes tough reach blocks that few centers consistently can

• Always scanning for extra work to finish plays

• Zero sacks allowed in three seasons (1,201 pass-block snaps), per PFF

• Allowed only two QB hits in final nine games

• IDs free rushers quickly and makes quick adjustments — a few one-arm pickups on tape

• Improved shotgun snapping technique, accuracy and timing

• Cerebral pivot who can be the brains of the operation in complex scheme

• Tone setter and high-level competitor who plays as hard on the first snap as he does the last

• Iron man who didn't miss a game last three years and played 2,317 of 2,387 offensive snaps (97.1%)

• Steeped in college program with tremendous OL pedigree, coached by one of the best OL minds in Kirk Ferentz

• Highly respected and decorated leader

Downside

• Lack of length concerning — 6-foot-2 with 31 1/8-inch arms puts him close to bottom of spectrum

• Likely a center only in the NFL — zero OG/OT experience, plus length concerns

• Scheme-specific player — not as valuable to gap-blocking run/dropback pass game

• Improved vs. massive nose tackles but still can be overwhelmed by power and mass

• Issues in pass protection show up against bigger, longer defenders

• Will need to develop smarter punch, use hands more independently

• Can lose battles coming off the ball too hot

• Foot injury in bowl game wiped out NFL combine workout

Best-suited destination

Linderbaum ideally would land with a team that wants to feature the run as a healthy part of its offense, such as the Dolphins, 49ers, Titans, Eagles, Patriots or Ravens. His lack of mass and length could be limiting, but in a zone-heavy scheme, Linderbaum's peak potential can be realized. He should develop further as a pass protector, however, and profiles as a high-floor prospect in the right system and a potential building block for the next decade.

Did you know

Linderbaum once took down his future Iowa football teammate, Tristan Wirfs, in the high-school state wrestling championship match.

Player comp

As far as undersized centers go, Jason Kelce is the gold standard. That's about as close a comp as you can find.

Expected draft range

Top-25 pick, with an outside shot to crack the top 10