At the end of last season, Detroit Lions Brad Holmes offered a perfect metaphor for maintaining one of the NFL's best offensive lines.
"I just think you've got to keep the whole garden watered at all points," Holmes said. "And so, it's going to be the whole unit, because I mean, that is – that's the engine for us."
To that end, the Lions took two offensive lineman in the 2025 NFL Draft--Georgia guard Tate Ratledge in the second round, and LSU guard Miles Frazier in the fifth round. They'll join Christian Mahogany and Graham Glasgow in the competition for the starting guard spots, with Ratledge seemingly having the clearest path to a starting job right now.
Frazier's versatility at LSU opens up a lot of future possibilities for him. Holmes also isn't going to pigeonhole Ratledge into anything as the two rookies start working with offensive line coach Hank Fraley. Holmes was asked more specifically about Ratledge and Frazier getting some practice reps at center.
"Yeah, absolutely. Hank, he'll cross-train all those guys," Holmes said, via Lions.com. "So, if they've only been at guard, he's going to put a ball between their legs and see if they can snap. But again, Hank's not going to put somebody in a tough position either, so he's going to be able to assess if they have the right makeup and mentality and communicative skills. That's a big part of just — it's not about just being able to snap, I mean, you have to have elite communication skills, not just as a starter, but even as a backup."
Lions have to start considering how Frank Ragnow will be replaced
The Lions have one of the best centers in the NFL in four-time Pro Bowler Frank Ragnow. He'll also turn 29 on May 17. The litany of injuries he has dealt with in his career, and in 2023 especially, have undeniably shaved some time off the end of his career. Retirement doesn't necessarily seem to be coming after the 2025 season, but he is currently under contract through 2026 and the structure of a what would be a presumed short-term contract extension will be interesting to see.
The Lions are happy with the development of second-year man Kingsley Eguakan, who lingers as a possible option to be Ragnow's successor after spending last season on the practice squad. Undrafted rookie Leif Fautanu is another possibility.
The Lions may have an idea for when Ragnow plans to call it a career, even if it's still a few years down the line. But the process of cultivating his successor should be somewhere on the radar right now, and it seems that is the case.
