HEIGHT: 6'2 1/8"

WEIGHT: 296

HAND: 10'0"

ARM: 31 1/8"

WINGSPAN: 6'3 5/8"

40-YARD DASH: DNP

3-CONE: DNP

SHUTTLE: DNP

VERTICAL: DNP

BROAD: DNP

POSITIVES

— Very good initial quickness, contact balance and body control to consistently stay attached to blocks.

— Elite grip strength, leg drive and hip mobility to clamp, explode, releverage and maintain control in the run game.

— Masterfully negotiates combo blocks with a keen understanding of how and when to fit, release and overtake to prevent penetration, create displacement and pick off backers.

— Applies consistent pressure on defenders through the whistle that breaks down their balance and racks up knockdowns.

— Plays with good patience and a firm posture in protection to keep his head out of blocks, strike and reset to mirror rushers.

— Looks for work when uncovered with thump and power to collapse adjacent rushers.

NEGATIVES

— Can get a little overzealous at the second level and overrun his target to open up the backdoor.

— Overly reliant on two-hand strikes in protection that shrink his margin for error; needs to vary his strikes and include more independent hands to keep rushers guessing.

— Marginal weight and girth causes him to be tardy to anchor when bigger rushers knock down his hands, get into his frame and bull-rush.

— Vulnerable to getting knocked back off his levels with the guards and picked off when defensive tackles spike and slant inside.

2021 STATISTICS

— 12 starts at center

NOTES

— Multisport athlete in high school earning four letters in baseball and three in wrestling, track and football on both the offensive and defensive line.

— 33 career starts at center.

— Named the 2021 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.

OVERALL

Linderbaum is a former 3-star offensive and defensive line recruit who originally committed to Iowa as a defensive tackle before making the switch early in his career to offensive line.

Linderbaum has 33 career starts at center since 2019 inside the Hawkeyes’ zone-run scheme. He's a bit undersized in terms of weight and girth, but he plays with an advanced understanding of how to leverage blocks with exceptional quickness, explosive power and grip strength to control defenders in the run game.

Linderbaum does a tremendous job of getting under and inside the pads of defensive linemen on combo blocks to create displacement while knowing exactly when to overtake or release to the second level. He takes solid angles to intersect backers on his climb, with overwhelming leg drive and power to regularly tip and dump them into the ground once he’s latched.

Linderbaum also has excellent quickness to reach and hook shades and "B" gap defenders to free up the guards to climb. He excels when uncovered in protection, with the posture and active eyes to stay upright, work off multiple threats and stay engaged against shifty rushers.

Linderbaum needs to work on throttling down a bit at the second level so he doesn't overrun targets and diversify his use of hands in protection not to become too predictable. His lack of size can delay his anchor against bigger, hulking rushers who get into his frame and bull-rush while he is vulnerable to being picked off when adjacent rushers spike inside.

Overall, Linderbaum is a dynamic run-blocker inside a zone-heavy scheme with the ability to be devastating at the second level. His size and anchoring concerns can lead to issues against high-end power-rushers in the NFL if he doesn't improve his use of hands to keep rushers guessing and off-balance, but he is a quick processor who can protect his edges against shiftier rushers.

GRADE: 8.6 (Impact Player - 1st Round)

OVERALL RANK: 12

POSITION RANK: IOL1

PRO COMPARISON: Stronger Garrett Bradbury

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn