Iowa football center Tyler Linderbaum declares for 2022 NFL Draft

The consensus All-American is a projected first-round pick.

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Jerod Ringwald

Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum heads to the locker room after an injury during the 2022 Vrbo Citrus Bowl between No. 15 Iowa and No. 22 Kentucky at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. The Wildcats defeated the Hawkeyes, 20-17.

Austin Hanson, Sports Editor
January 14, 2022

Iowa football’s junior center Tyler Linderbaum has declared for the 2022 NFL Draft. After four seasons with the Hawkeyes, the 6-foot-3, 290-pounder announced that he is leaving the program Friday morning.

Linderbaum tweeted the following statement:

Linderbaum is now the fifth Hawkeye to declare for the 2022 NFL Draft. 

Running back Tyler Goodson opted out of the 2022 Citrus Bowl, making his intention to turn professional public on Dec. 10. Defensive back Dane Belton declared for the NFL Draft on Jan. 8. Belton finished the regular season with a Big Ten Conference-leading five interceptions.

Seniors Jack Koerner and Kyler Schott, who play safety and guard, respectively, have also declared for the 2022 NFL Draft.

Some experts have projected that Goodson will be picked in the fourth or fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft this April. Others have predicted that Goodson may go undrafted.

Pro Football Network currently projects that Belton will be a fifth-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft.

Linderbaum has been a projected first-round NFL Draft pick for the better part of two years. Some experts even think he could be drafted in the top 10.

If Linderbaum is drafted in the top 10, a big pay day could await him. Penei Sewell, an offensive lineman selected in the top 10 of last year’s NFL Draft, signed a four-year, $24 million rookie contract with the Detroit Lions.

Sewell’s contract was fully guaranteed, and he received a $14.88 million signing bonus from the Lions.

At Iowa, Linderbaum was a consensus All-American in 2021. He was an All-Big Ten first-teamer in 2020 and 2021.

Linderbaum also won the 2021 Rimington Trophy, which is awarded annually to the best center in college football.

Linderbaum ran a 1.55-second 10-yard split in August. No offensive lineman has ever run a 10-yard split that quickly. According to Pro Football Focus, Linderbaum runs the same 10-yard split time as NFL wide receivers A.J. Green and Michael Thomas.

The 2022 NFL Draft will be held April 28-30 in Las Vegas.