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Published: 2 Nov 2022,
12:41
We’re just eight weeks into the NFL season, and while some notable
rookies like wide receiver Jameson Williams have yet to hit the field, many
others have shined on both sides of the field.
This
year’s rookie of the year awards are set to be a close race, with several names
all at the head of the pack. But which of these rookies will not only have
impressive seasons, but impressive careers?
Here are
six names that are not only building strong cases for hardware this year, but
also have shown their production can last a very long time.
Tyler
Linderbaum (Baltimore Ravens)
I loved Linderbaum coming into the
draft,
so to see him land in a run-first offense in Baltimore was simply perfect news.
The Iowa
product is just 6-foot-2 and 296 pounds in frame, but what he lacks in size he
makes up for in his agility and speed.
Running a 5.09 40-yard dash while also
scoring in the 97th percentile of agility at the NFL Combine shot him into the
back-end of the first round, a rare sight for centers in today’s game.
Linderbaum has not only been excellent
in the running game, helping the Ravens tally the third most rushing yards in
the NFL while missing their first and second-string running backs, but he’s
also only allowed one sack in 240 passing blocking snaps.
Given how
difficult it is to pass block for a mobile quarterback like Lamar Jackson,
combined with how Linderbaum came into the draft as a mediocre pass-blocker,
his stats on that front are what’s most impressive so far.
If he can continue being a force as a blocker on the
second level of the run game, Linderbaum will have a fairly successful NFL
career. But if he can also prevent sacks like the best centers in the league?
Well you may as well pencil him in for an All-Pro selection right now.
