Tyler Linderbaum ranked No. 5 among centers by PFF

As the offseason rolls along, PFF’s Gordon McGuinness continues to release his top 32 player rankings for each position going into the 2023 season. Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum came in at No. 5 on the top 32 centers list following his impressive rookie campaign.

“As a rookie, Linderbaum ranked fourth at the position with an 84.2 PFF run blocking grade, and Todd Monken’s arrival as offensive coordinator could lead to more zone runs, which fit his skill set,” McGuinness wrote. “His 53.5 PFF pass-blocking grade was the sixth-worst at the position, but a lot of this came from rookie struggles against stunts, something that it would be fair to expect a significant improvement from in Year 2.”

The first-round pick out of Iowa had his ups and downs, as almost any rookie does, but his elite athleticism lived up to the hype in Year 1. It is true that Linderbaum struggled more in pass protection, but that was always expected with his smaller build coming into the NFL. An offseason in an NFL program should help the undersized lineman beef up while maintaining the speed and agility which made him a first-round prospect.

The Ravens opted to let center Bradley Bozeman walk in free agency after performing admirably in his first season back to his natural college position after playing guard for his first three years in the NFL, and the decision has seemingly paid off. Baltimore appears to have finally stopped their multi-year carousel of players in the center of the offensive line now with Linderbaum.