Former Georgia offensive lineman Tate Ratledge could be changing positions with the Detroit Lions.
The Georgia Bulldogs had 13 players selected during the 2025 NFL draft and one of them was offensive lineman Tate Ratledge. The Detroit Lions selected Ratledge in the third round of the draft, and the former Georgia guard could potentially be changing positions at the next level.
Lions media members had the opportunity to watch some 11-on-11 drills during rookie mini camp and it was reported that the majority of Ratledge's reps were at center, not guard.
“The first thing you see, this is a big man when you see [Tate Ratledge]. He’s long, tall, big man. But you love the versatility of the player. He can play multiple positions inside and the interior,” Lions GM Ray Agnew said.
When Ratledge first arrived to Georgia, he was expected to play tackle for the Bulldogs. it didn't take long though for him to bump in at guard and remain there for the rest of his career. However, it was mentioned during his time in Athens that Ratledge was cross training at center, in case the Bulldogs ever need him to slide into that spot.
“You gotta say a lot more. You gotta know the safety rotation, stuff like that, know where the point’s going,” Ratledge said. “At guard, most of the time you’re listening to the center tell you where to go. At center, like I said, you’re telling everybody else where to go.”
So needless to say, it looks like Georgia's efforts to play Ratledge at center could end up paying off for the former Bulldog at the next level.
