Ever since Dan Campbell took the reins of the Detroit Lions, he's made sure to instill his own personality on the team. As such, they're physical, tough, bruising, and the type of team that might lose, but never get outworked.
Of course, all of that starts in the trenches. Teams that impose their will at the line of scrimmage usually have a better chance to win, and Coach Campbell has hung his hat on having a brick wall standing between Jared Goff and the defense.
That's why, after watching him thrive as a rookie, it's not much of a surprise to see all the hype around Tate Ratledge. In his latest column, Bleacher Report analyst Brent Sobleski chose him as the team's best-kept secret. As such, he'll be in the spotlight from the jump next season:
"The Lions chose Tate Ratledge in last year's second round, and he slid seamlessly into the group by replacing a veteran stalwart in Kevin Zeitler at right guard. According to TruMedia (h/t Pro Football Network), Ratledge allowed the lowest pressure rate among any rookie offensive linemen in 2025. He also graded as the league's 12th-best run-blocking guard, per Pro Football Focus," Sobleski wrote.
Tate Ratledge will have to be even better in 2026
The former Georgia star looked like a 10-year veteran as a rookie, but things will only get tougher in year two. Penei Sewell will move from the right to the left side of the offensive line, leaving rookie tackle Blake Miller next to Ratledge.
Notably, that might lead opposing teams to try to exploit that side of the line, something they wouldn't have dared even think about with Sewell by his side. He will face tougher matchups, and he'll have to improve his pass-blocking technique.
Pro Football Focus ranked Ratledge 60th among 81 eligible guards with a 58.5 pass-blocking grade. He allowed 24 total pressures, including 9 QB hits and 2 sacks in 648 pass-blocking snaps, and he also committed 7 penalties. That's something to work on if he wants to live up to the well-justified hype around him.
On a more positive note, he was a stud for the running game. His 73.5 run-blocking grade ranked 12th in the league, and with Jahmyr Gibbs set to have a bigger role as the undisputed RB1 under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, Ratledge's ability to climb and block in the second level will be crucial to take this team back to where it belongs.
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