The Detroit Lions were thrown a curveball at the beginning of last month when All-Pro center Frank Ragnow shockingly announced his retirement from the NFL.
Lions fans immediately wondered who would now become the heir apparent for Ragnow. The two names that emerged were veteran Graham Glasgow and rookie Tate Ratledge. Glasgow and Ratledge were reportedly taking snaps in Ragnow’s absence during spring workouts, so Detroit’s head coaches were already ahead of the game.
However, for their first training camp practice on Sunday, the Lions unveiled the potential starter when Week 1 of the regular season rolls around.
Rookie Tate Ratledge Gets 1st Chance at Starting Center Job
According to Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News, Ratledge, the second-round pick, received all the first-team snaps at center during the 11-on-11 drills. Bianchi added that Glasgow lined up at right guard, while Christian Mahogany handled left guard duties.
With much speculation re: who would get first cracks at the center position, #Lions rookie Tate Ratledge handled all of the first-team snaps for Detroit during 11-on-11 periods today.
— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) July 20, 2025
Graham Glasgow played RG and Christian Mahogany at LG.
If you are the Lions, this may be your best offensive line configuration, especially since you also lost Kevin Zeitler in free agency to the Tennessee Titans. Glasgow can step in to fill the void while they work on developing Mahogany and Ratledge.
Ratledge doesn’t have much center experience under his belt, as he mostly played right guard at the University of Georgia. However, he has the solid skills that can help him make the switch from guard to center.
The 6-foot-6, 315-pound lineman plays with good discipline and technique. He also possesses good strength, and his feet never stop moving, which is good for a team like the Lions, who have one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL.
Since he’s a rookie, there will be a learning curve along the way, as he gets adjusted to being a center at the NFL level. However, if Ratledge can pick up things quickly, it will go a long way in helping Detroit get where it wants to go.