The Ravens took Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum with the No. 25 overall pick Thursday night, adding the draft’s top center after two trades.
The 6-foot-3, 290-pound Linderbaum’s fit in the Ravens’ rushing offense is up for debate — team officials have typically targeted bigger interior linemen for their power-heavy concepts — but his high-level production and athletic profile are indisputable. A former wrestler and consensus All-American, Linderbaum watched his stock drop after his measurables fell short at the NFL scouting combine.
With Linderbaum’s arrival, Patrick Mekari will likely return to a swing tackle position. Earlier Thursday, the Ravens drafted Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton at No. 14 overall.
The pick was the byproduct of two draft night trades. Minutes after taking Hamilton with the No. 14 overall pick, the Ravens announced they’d traded leading wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and a third-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for the No. 23 overall pick. Forty minutes later, they swapped spots with Buffalo, acquiring the Bills’ picks at Nos. 25 and 130 overall.
The Ravens now have six fourth-round selections, all of them within a 31-pick span (No. 110 to No. 141). They’ll entire Day 2 with a second-round pick (No. 45), one third-round pick (No. 76) and plenty of ammunition to move up.
