A deeper dive into NY Giants first round draft target Tyler Linderbaum

The NY Giants are overdue for a rebuild, and an infusion of young talent across the roster, and could potentially mine both during the 2022 NFL Draft

The NY Giants currently own the 5th and 5th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, with the 8th pick belonging to the NY Giants, and the 6th pick belonging to the Chicago Bears. The Giants acquired this draft pick during the 2021 NFL Draft in which the NY Giants traded back from the 11th pick to the 20th pick.

With this NY Giants roster currently having plenty of holes, New York has a perfect opportunity to plug some of these holes through the draft, one of the players in this year’s draft I believe the NY Giants should target it center Tyler Linderbaum out of Iowa.

Tyler Linderbaum is a 6’3 290 pound beast out of Iowa who has quickly become the best center in the draft, even becoming the best center PFF has ever graded since they began their college evaluations in 2014.

With that being said, let’s take a deeper dive into NY Giants first-round draft target Tyler Linderbaum:

Linderbaum is one of the best run-blocking offensive linemen I have ever seen, something the NY Giants desperately need.

Just watch this clip:

Linderbaum snaps the ball, and after seeing no one in front of him to block, he turns around and blocks TWO defenders, this kind of strength and ability is something any team in the NFL would love to have.

Gaining a run-blocking grade of 96.5, per PFF, Linderbaum uses his elite athleticism, strength, and IQ to absolutely dominate run blocking opportunities.

Not only can Linderbaum dominate in the second level, but he can also completely overpower opposing defensive linemen.

A perfect example of this is in this clip here: 

Linderbaum snaps the ball, turns left, and pushes his opponent completely out of the play, creating a huge hole for his running back to run through.

Tyler Linderbaum possesses insane speed for a center, this is what helps makes him extremely deadly in the second level. Just look at how ridiculous this clip is:

Linderbaum is nearly step-for-step with his running back on this play, he reminds me a lot of Jason Kelce, who possesses the same kind of 2nd level speed.

Tyler Linderbaum has the ability to be one of the best-run blockers in the NFL the moment he is drafted, his combination of speed, strength, and IQ is almost unheard of.

Now onto Tyler Linderbaum’s pass-blocking ability:

In 13 games played this season, Tyler Linderbaum has only allowed 1 sack, 2 QB hits, and 4 QB hurries, gaining a 75.2 pass-blocking grade, per PFF.

While these stats on paper are impressive, something that should be noted is that Iowa ran the ball at a 57% clip, much higher than other college football teams. However, this should not deter you from acknowledging Linderbaum’s potential in pass-blocking snaps.

Tyler Linderbaum possesses great footwork, hand placement/movement, and strength in the passing game, making him possibly the best two-way offensive lineman in the draft.

A great example of Linderbaum’s dominance in the passing game is in this clip here:

Linderbaum holds places his hands perfectly on the inside of his defender and then simply bullies him, pushing his defender to the right and throwing him to the ground.

This showcases Linderbaums elite strength and hand technique and how he can use both of these aspects to dominate in the passing game.

What is probably my favorite aspect about Tyler Linderbaum is his IQ and awareness in pass blocking snaps, he makes it very difficult for opposing defenders to slip by him, something current NY Giants center Billy Price lacks.

A great example of this IQ and awareness is on this play here: 

Linderbaum has no man over him, so instead of just standing around and waiting for nothing, something current center Bill Price often does, Linderbaum looks around, see’s that his guard is struggling, waits for the defender to get the edge, and runs over and seals him off, preventing a sack.

While on paper this play is nothing crazy, for the issues the NY Giants have had at center this year, it means a lot to watch another center possess this kind of awareness.

Positional value may cause Tyler Linderbaum to slip a little in the draft, but this should not deter the NY Giants from drafting him if they get the chance. Linderbaum is a generational talent that the NY Giants desperately need on their offensive line.