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Tate Ratledge is the newest Detroit Lion after the team traded up three spots to land the Georgia right guard in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Ratledge joins an offensive line that had a clear need to get younger on the interior.
Ratledge was a three-year starter for Georgia in a blocking scheme that is relatively similar to what the Lions use, with some gap/power concepts but also some outside zone. He exclusively played right guard for the Bulldogs.
At guard, the Lions already had veteran Graham Glasgow at left guard and 2024 rookie Christian Mahogany on the right side. Mahogany was pencilled in to replace Kevin Zeitler and remain at right guard, but selecting Ratledge makes that projection more complicated. Mahogany has also been a career right guard from his days at Boston College.
It's possible the Lions will bump one of the two youngsters, more than likely Mahogany, to the left guard spot. Glasgow then becomes the top interior reserve with the versatility to play any spot, including center. He's been the primary backup center behind Frank Ragnow already, and his play at guard declined enough in 2024 that the reserve role might be a much better fit at this stage of his career.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Tate Ratledge: Where the 2nd rounder fits into Lions offensive line
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How he fits
Ratledge was a three-year starter for Georgia in a blocking scheme that is relatively similar to what the Lions use, with some gap/power concepts but also some outside zone. He exclusively played right guard for the Bulldogs.
At guard, the Lions already had veteran Graham Glasgow at left guard and 2024 rookie Christian Mahogany on the right side. Mahogany was pencilled in to replace Kevin Zeitler and remain at right guard, but selecting Ratledge makes that projection more complicated. Mahogany has also been a career right guard from his days at Boston College.
It's possible the Lions will bump one of the two youngsters, more than likely Mahogany, to the left guard spot. Glasgow then becomes the top interior reserve with the versatility to play any spot, including center. He's been the primary backup center behind Frank Ragnow already, and his play at guard declined enough in 2024 that the reserve role might be a much better fit at this stage of his career.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Tate Ratledge: Where the 2nd rounder fits into Lions offensive line
Continue reading...
