Despite playing just 3 seasons so far, Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum has already established himself as an elite center. He finished third in All-Pro voting last year, while earning his second consecutive Pro Bowl nod.
Creed Humphrey and Frank Ragnow finished ahead of him, which is no surprise. But, following Ragnow’s retirement last month, Linderbaum should be in position to compete for an All-Pro spot in 2025.
Yesterday, Josh Edwards of CBS Sports used the winners from the past six seasons to create a profile of a prototypical All-Pro at each offensive position. Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum fits the profile as well as anybody in the league.
Tyler Linderbaum Fits the Prototype of an All-Pro Center
In order to put together a profile of the prototypical All-Pro player at each position, Edwards and the team at CBS Sports compiled the data from the draft profiles of each of the six centers who have been named first-team or second-team All-Pros by the Associated Press over the past six years.
“With that information, we attempt to project one current NFL player and one current collegiate player who will rise into the All-Pro distinction,” Edwards wrote.
The six centers who have earned first-team or second-team All-Pro nods in the past six years include:
- Jason Kelce (Eagles)
- Frank Ragnow (Lions)
- Creed Humphrey (Chiefs)
- Corey Linsley (Packers)
- Ryan Kelly (Colts)
- Rodney Hudson (Raiders)
Oddly enough, Edwards pointed out that four of those six are no longer in the NFL. So, that’s another point in Linderbaum’s favor for this year’s race. The Ravens center appears primed for another elite season, which could propel him to his first All-Pro team.
“The center position continues the trend of All-Pro offensive linemen being picked in the early rounds of the NFL Draft,” Edwards wrote. “Four of the six were taken in either the first or the second round.”
Edwards noted that Linderbaum has only allowed 4 sacks across his 54 career games, including the playoffs. The Ravens center “has just a 2.5% beaten rate in 54 games,” Edwards noted.
“After the loss of veterans Morgan Moses and Kevin Zeitler, Linderbaum grew into his own and became a captain of an improved Ravens offensive line,” wrote Edwards.
Ravens Center Tyler Linderbaum Ranked as No. 10 Offensive Lineman in the League by ESPN
On Saturday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler continued his release of the top 10 players at each position with the interior linemen. Even though he was unranked last year, Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum made another appearance on the list at No. 10.
In his article compiling the rankings, Fowler included two quotes praising Linderbaum’s abilities, demonstrating why he made the top 10 in this year’s list.
“Can do anything you want in the run game,” a veteran NFL defensive coach said. “Maybe the best center in the NFL in terms of that. A bit limited in pass pro, but you felt him in the run game — strong and physical.”
Linderbaum’s PFF grade backs that up, as he earned a run blocking grade of 82.5, good for the fourth-best mark in the league. While his pass blocking grade wasn’t as high (65.7), it was still slightly above average. And it didn’t drop his overall grade too much, as he finished with the fifth-highest overall grade (78.1) in the league.
“Initial quickness, angles, every intangible, takes mental pressure off [Lamar Jackson],” a senior NFL scout said.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Ravens Pro Bowler Fits the Profile for an All-Pro Leap in 2025 appeared first on Heavy Sports.