Tyler Linderbaum will be a key piece who decides just how high the Baltimore Ravens' ceiling can get this season. The former first-round pick is expected to take a big step forward in year two, and that could be a major piece of the offensive line keeping Lamar Jackson healthy for the full season.
While Linderbaum was just a rookie, it is interesting to see where he was at his best, and where he can get better as he enters his second NFL season. With the help of PFF, we will look into some advanced stats to break down the rookie season of Tyler Linderbaum.
Baltimore Ravens advanced stats review: Tyler Linderbaum
Pressures Per Snap
Tyler Linderbaum allowed 29 pressures on 1,161 snaps last season. It was one of the most pressures allowed by a center, and it was one of the worst rates. Linderbaum allowed pressure on 4.9% of the snaps he played in pass protection. Amongst qualified centers, he ranked 33rd out of 39.
That is obviously not good, but you have to factor in that he was a rookie. The only other rookie to have the qualified number of snaps this season is Luke Fortner. Still, he was at 4.7% which rated him 32nd. Needless to say, this is not the easiest position for rookies.
Since 201, Linderbaum ranked 14th out of 19 qualified rookies in pressures allowed per snap. Still, one name worse than him was Jason Kelce. Meanwhile, Russell Bodine was one of the top five, so this is not the end all be all, but we do know that he needs to improve here. Kelce was worse as a rookie, but last season his pressure rate was 1.5%, so he it improved immensely.
Pass Blocking Grade
Needless to say, this did not lead to a good pass block grade. He had a 53.5 grade, which was 34th out of 39. It is right in line with the pressures allowed, so it is not a shock. The names below him included Bradley Bozeman, Hjatte Froholdt, Wes Schweitzer, Tyler Larsen, and Scott Quessenberry. Luke Fortner was up at 30th, but not much better.
Jason Kelce had a pass-blocking grade of 59.3 as a rookie, so there is hope. However, the only rookies since 2011 to have a worse grade are Kendrick Green, Lloyd Cushenberry, Mason Cole, and Garrett Bradbury. This is not great company, even factoring in that he was a rookie.
The best pass-blocking grades were Cody Whitehair, Corey Linsley, Ryan Kelly, Erik McCoy, and Creed Humphrey. Needless to say, pass-blocking grade as a rookie does have some correlation to success, and that is not a great sign for Linderbaum.
Run Blocking Grade
By far the best aspect of Linderbaums game was his run-blocking. With an 84.2 grade, he was fourth best in the NFL. The names he was behind include Connor Williams, Jason Kelce, and Creed Humphrey, so his run blocking was elite, and with the big names.
Amongst rookies since 2011 he also ranked fourth in run blocking grade. He was behind Cody Whitehair, Travis Frederick, and Creed Humphrey, and all of them were hits.
Linderbaum ranked 4th overall as a zone blocker. That is no shock when you factor in how good he is on the move. However, the Ravens only ran zone 21.9% of the time. Meanwhile. he was third amongst centers in gap blocking, and the Ravens are one of the most gap-heavy teams in the NFL. Jason Kelce and David Andrews were the only names better, and both of those teams have great rushing attacks.
Overall
Tyler Linderbaum has a chance to be one of the best-run blockers in the NFL for a long time coming. He excelled in this area, and historically that should give him a high floor. However, he struggled mightily in pass protection. A lot of this came down to his size against bigger, stronger, and faster nose tackles in the NFL.
The thought would be that he can put on some muscle and improve his anchor to get better in this area. However, when the Ravens drafted him the thought was that this would always be a bit of a weakness for him in the NFL. The key for him will be at least getting closer to average next season.