The Lions have added a new pillar to their offensive line. Detroit traded up three spots in the second round of the draft Friday night to take Georgia guard Tate Ratledge No. 57 overall.
The Lions sent their second-rounder (No. 60) and fourth-rounder (No. 130) to the Broncos and also got back a seventh-rounder (No. 230).
"I couldn’t ask for a better team, a better situation to go to," Ratledge said. "I’m just so excited I still haven’t really processed it yet. I’ve always been a fan of Coach Campbell and the way he runs his program, just seeing what he does and what he has to say, the way his offensive line plays, just everything about the way he runs his team, I feel like it's a great fit."
Ratledge was a three-year starter at right guard for Georgia and first-team All-SEC each of the past two seasons. He's a mauler at 6'6, 308 pounds who "plays with a dirt-dog mentality," per NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. This comes a year after the Lions drafted fellow guard Christian Mahogany, affectionately called a "dirtbag" by Brad Holmes.
The two of them could start on either side of Frank Ragnow this season, and for several years to come. The Lions have a high-level guard to replace in Kevin Zeitler, who departed in free agency.
"Ratledge’s mentality and toughness should help him become a solid starter fairly quickly," says Zierlein.
It's the first time the Lions have drafted an offensive lineman on one of the first two days of the draft since their first pick under Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell regime: Penei Sewell seventh overall. As Holmes said at the start of this offseason, "That's the engine for us."
"I don’t care how good we ever get on the offensive line, that one right there is too important for not only our team, our quarterback, everything, it’s our identity, man," said Holmes. "That is always going to be at the forefront.”
Ratledge, 24, will compete for a starting job in training camp with Mahogany and veteran Graham Glasgow as the Lions look to keep their offensive line among the best in the NFL.
A year ago, Ratledge got a lion tattooed on his forearm, which he showed to reporters during a Zoom call Friday night. Asked why, he said, "I think lions are the king of the jungle for a reason. Just their mentality, their attitude, the way they go about their whole life, that’s something that I attach my lifestyle to, that mentality of never satisfied, never quit. That’s something that ties into my life and the way I play the game."
He missed four games last season after having surgery on a sprained ankle, but returned to play in Georgia's final nine games.