Lions are wasting no time taking full advantage of Georgia product Tate Ratledge's versatility
The Detroit Lions are wasting no time taking full advantage of Georgia Bulldogs product and 2025 second-round pick Tate Ratledge's versatility. Ratledge, who originally arrived in Athens as a tackle before transitioning to guard, was seen taking a majority of his snaps at center during the Lions' rookie minicamp. This move was expected, as the […]
The Detroit Lions are wasting no time taking full advantage of Georgia Bulldogs product and 2025 second-round pick Tate Ratledge's versatility.
Ratledge, who originally arrived in Athens as a tackle before transitioning to guard, was seen taking a majority of his snaps at center during the Lions' rookie minicamp.
This move was expected, as the Lions are well-known for cross-training their offensive linemen, and something they planned to do with Ratledge when they selected him at No. 52 overall — as long as he can handle the transition.
"Hank, he'll cross-train all those guys," Lions general manager Brad Holmes said right after the draft. "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."
Ratledge isn’t a total stranger to playing center; he took some reps there during practice at Georgia, just in case they ever needed a backup. The biggest change for him now is handling all the communication that comes with the role.
“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."
The Lions already have one of the NFL’s top centers in Frank Ragnow, a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, so they won’t need Ratledge to step in right away. Still, it’s a big plus to have quality depth and a potential successor in place for the future.
Ratledge, a former four-star recruit from Tennessee, began his college football journey at Georgia in a backup role before becoming the Bulldogs' starting right guard in 2022. Over his final two seasons, he played 1,300 offensive snaps and surrendered only two sacks, earning consecutive First-Team All-SEC selections and All-American recognition.
