X
Skip to content

NFL Draft: Linderbaum the Center of Attention

NFL Draft

There might not be a position that is more undervalued in the NFL draft process than center.

One of the steals in the 2021 NFL draft was Oklahoma product Creed Humphrey who landed in Kansas City with the 63rd overall pick. Humphrey, a key piece of the Chiefs’ rebuilt offensive line, was the last of three centers taken in the second round.

NFL Draft: Linderbaum the Center of Attention
NFL Draft: Linderbaum the Center of Attention

Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum has been touted as one of the better talents at the center position in recent memory but after he is selected, it could be a while before another center hears his name called. The Las Vegas odds consider Linderbaum a strong choice to go in the first round.

Linderbaum (+3300) is fifth in the odds to be the top offensive lineman drafted.

Here’s a look at the top center prospects for the NFL draft which runs from April 28-30.

Linderbaum the Center of Attention

When it comes to looking at the top centers available, there’s no question who is the best prospect.

Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum has a chance to be selected in the first round or perhaps he might go in the first half of the second round simply because teams tend to undervalue the center position.

Four centers were selected in the opening round from 2018-2020 with mixed results.

There are some who think Linderbaum is a better prospect than UCLA’s Billy Price, Frank Ragnow of Arkansas, North Carolina State’s Garrett Bradbury, and Louisiana State’s Cesar Ruiz who are the last four centers to be first-round picks but will he be taken before any of them?

The Dallas Cowboys, who pick 24th, could be a landing spot for Linderbaum. The NFL betting props have +325 odds for the Cowboys to use their first-round pick to select the Iowa star.

Another Husker Headed to the NFL?

How impressive is Nebraska’s history when it comes to developing centers? Well, the award given out to the nation’s top center is named for former Cornhusker great, Dave Rimington.

Cameron Jurgens isn’t the pro prospect that Rimington, a first-round selection in 1983, was, but as a three-year starting center playing in the physical Big Ten, there is plenty of film on Jurgens. Nebraska averaged just 3.3 yards per rushing attempt against ranked teams in 2021.

Jurgens ran a 4.92 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine which ranked second among interior offensive linemen. When it comes to NFL predictions, he was the No. 5 rated interior offensive lineman (second among centers) in Bucky Brooks’ positional breakdown for the NFL Network.

Fortner a possible second-day selection

A former guard, Luke Fortner made the transition to center during the 2021 season at Kentucky. It is hard to say where he will land. There is a chance he could be taken at some point in the third round or maybe he’ll have to wait until the final day of the draft to be selected.

His results at the NFL scouting combine were solid but hardly spectacular, he also had a chance to impress the scouts at the Senior Bowl.

Kentucky finished fourth in the SEC in yards per rushing attempt in 2021 and Fortner was a major reason for that. It might be worth taking a shot on Fortner going by the end of the second round for those who bet online.

Is Parham On the Move?

Dylan Parham was a fixture on the right side of the offensive line during his time at Memphis seeing time at both guard and tackle.

The 6-foot-2 Parham projects to be a center at the next level and much like Fortner, his landing spot is hard to pinpoint as he could go either on day 2 or 3 in the draft.

Memphis ranked 10th out of 11 teams in rushing yards in the American Athletic Conference and it remains to be seen if that will impact where he goes during the draft.

Unlike some of the other center prospects, Parham could also project to play guard in the NFL which should help his draft prospects.

Lindstrom hoping to add to Boston College’s O-line legacy

Eight of the first 10 Boston College players taken in professional football drafts were offensive linemen.

Thirteen centers from Boston College have been selected in either the NFL or AFL drafts but none since Andy Gallik was a sixth-round selection in 2015. Lindstrom could end up going at around the same time as Gallik or 2010 fifth-rounder Matt Tennant.

The good news for Lindstrom is that with BC guard Zion Johnson a potential first-round selection, NFL scouts spent plenty of time evaluating the play of the Boston College offensive line.

Best of the rest

Michigan State’s Matt Allen followed in the footsteps of his brothers Jack and Brian to become a starting center for the Spartans. Brian was a fourth-round pick in 2018. Will Matt be selected that high in this year’s draft? It is a possibility.

Ben Brown out of Ole Miss could easily have cracked the top five, He played a pile of snaps during his time with the Rebels. Ole Miss finished 11th nationally in rushing yards per game in 2021 and Brown was a major reason why the Rebels were highly successful running the ball.

Utah’s Nick Ford has experience as a starter at all five offensive line positions at the college level but his future could be at center. He is expected to be a third-day pick.

Doug Kramer of Illinois started more than 25 games but at 6-foot-2, scouts won’t be rushing to call his name until the final day of the draft.

Derek Kerstetter is another player with position versatility as he started at multiple positions for Texas. He has more length than some of the other center prospects which could prove helpful in the draft process.

Michigan’s Andrew Stueber played a key role in Michigan’s run to the College Football Playoffs. He played multiple positions for the Wolverines and projects to be either a guard or center in the NFL. If he doesn’t get selected, he will have options as a free agent.

Wake Forest’s Zach Tom had an outstanding showing at the NFL scouting combine. Tom was second among offensive linemen at the Combine with a 33-inch vertical leap, he was also second in the broad jump (9-10), third in the 3-cone drill (7.32), and fourth in the 20-yard shuttle. He ran the 40 in 4.94 seconds. Will it be enough to get him drafted? We’ll have to see.

Did you find this article interesting?

Comments (0)