The Detroit Lions have had one of the NFL's best offensive lines, but general manager Brad Holmes was clear about the importance of never neglecting opportunities to add talent to the mix after last season ended.
"I just think you've got to keep the whole garden watered at all points," Holmes said back in January. "And so, it's going to be the whole unit, because I mean, that is – that's the engine for us."
Holmes' comments came before guard Kevin Zeitler signed with the Tennessee Titans in free agency this offseason. Christian Mahogany' 2024 rookie season was derailed early by an illness, but he looked very good in two starts (one at each guard spot) and looks to be a strong candidate to start at one guard spot in 2025. That said, #smallsamplesize.
Graham Glasgow moved from right to left guard last season to accommodate the signing of Zeitler, and his performance fell off a cliff compared to 2024. So the left guard spot is open for competition, with Glasgow shifting into a role as a backup at all three interior line spots if he is beaten out for the starting job.
In a bigger picture sense, the Lions have three potential offensive line starters for this year, Taylor Decker, Glasgow and Frank Ragnow, who are going to be 29 or older when the 2025 season starts.
The Lions doubled-dipped on offensive lineman in the 2025 draft, moving up three spots to take Georgia guard Tate Ratledge in the second round (No. 57 overall) and circling back in the fifth round (No. 171 overall) to take LSU guard Miles Frazier.
Ratledge predominantly played right guard at Georgia, so he's a natural candidate to replace Zeitler as the starter there. Frazier's immediate outlook is a little different, and that's not a bad thing.
Frazier settled in at right guard himself over his last two seasons at LSU (25 starts over that span), but he also made 10 starts at left guard, 11 starts at left tackle and two starts at right tackle over the course of his career. Over more than 1,000 total pass blocking snaps during his college career, playing every position but center, he allowed just 19 quarterback pressures.
Miles Frazier's versatility will be a fantastic asset for the Lions
In naming him the best value pick for the Lions from the 2025 draft, Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report outlined where Frazier obviously gets a value edge over Ratledge.
"The fifth-round selection of LSU's Miles Frazier is arguably a better value. Second-rounders should compete for a starting job relatively early in their careers."
"Frazier also brings a starting-caliber skill set at a much lower price. He could realistically challenge the soon-to-be 33-year-old Graham Glasgow and Christian Mahogany to eventually take over left guard after starting at both guard spots and left tackle throughout his collegiate career."
Russell Brown of Lions Wire has taken Frazier's versatility profile a step further, while citing "a lot of discourse" over where he'll play in the NFL.
"There's a thought that Frazier will play either guard or tackle (in a pinch) for the Lions. However, I think there's a much different plan for Frazier in Detroit."
Brown added how Frazier has some development to do before he becomes a locked-in starter at any spot on the Lions' offensive line, but he'll also have the ability to work on his shortcomings before that idea comes to the surface.
Then Brown reached his punch line.
"While having a feasible guard waiting in the wings seems to be the plan, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of Frazier playing center in Detroit. His first step and lateral quickness could make him a force in the middle if something were to happen with Frank Ragnow, especially with questions surrounding Ragnow's longevity due to his injury history."
Even if he continues to push off the idea of retirement, the litany of injuries Ragnow has dealt with stand to shave a couple years off his career. It's impossible to know what the Lions know there, but with Holmes' comments in mind "watering" the center situation is probably on the radar. Ragnow has lauded offensive line coach Hank Fraley's impact on his career, and as a former center Fraley would naturally take a key role in cultivating Ragnow's potential successor.
Frazier may eventually start at either guard spot for the Lions. Or maybe he's a future stalwart at center once Ragnow is ready to call it a career. The options are wide-ranging, adding to the value Frazier brings to the table as a fifth-round pick who probably should have been drafted sooner.
