WATCH: Lamar Jackson raves about Ravens rookie center Tyler Linderbaum
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had to shout out former Iowa Hawkeyes star Tyler Linderbaum on Thursday after the big man showed extra hustle at mandatory minicamp. After the former Louisville legend threw an interception at practice, Linderbaum turned on the jets to chase down the defender.
“The chemistry is great, chemistry’s great. And I throw an interception yesterday, Daelin (Hayes) was taking it back to the house, to the other way. I was kind of paused, talking to (Duvernay) during the play, and my center Tyler (Linderbaum) was getting after it, like he was running him down, so I’d just say he’s fast. He’s fast as heck for a center. Man, I ain’t ever seen a center run like that. He’s a football player,” Jackson said.
The former Hawkeye ran a 4.98 40-yard dash ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft, which boosted his stock even higher. His 7.14-second 3-cone drill was first among center prospects.
Protecting Lamar Jackson is priority No. 1 for Tyler Linderbaum
Drafted No. 25 overall, Tyler Linderbaum takes his job protecting his quarterback very seriously.
“My job is to protect him [Jackson]; I’m excited to get that opportunity,” Linderbaum said. “Every snap, every down, I’m going to have to bring it, because obviously, it’s a tough league. Every guy across from me is going to be tough. But just the mentality I’m going to bring, just that gritty toughness, physical, I’m going to bring it just to protect him and keep him safe.”
Linderbaum signed a four-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens worth $13.2 million. The deal included a $6.8 million signing bonus and a fifth-year team option, as all first-round picks do.
Despite playing just 12 games last season due to a late-season ankle injury, Lamar Jackson was the 8th-most sacked QB in 2021. Defenders got to him a total of 38 times, compared to Joe Burrow at 51 sacks and Patrick Mahomes with 28.