Georgia football offensive lineman Tate Ratledge has been a stalwart on the offensive line his whole career as well as a team leader and engine for the offense. Ratledge has been a part of two National Championships and two SEC Championships, which speaks to the legacy that he is leaving at UGA.
Rateldge's Georgia career however has come to an end, so he is continuing forward to the NFL and has had an impressive offseason in preparation for the NFL Draft. Ratledge has been an underrated name in NFL draft media, but he but will be a great addition wherever he lands.
So let's take a look at potential NFL destinations for Ratledge.
1. Houston Texans
The Texans had one of the worst offensive lines in the league last year. They do however have a star quarterback and everyone knows they need to use assets to protect him. Ratledge would give the Texans an instant starter and leader in their offensive line room, so don't be surprised to see them use an early pick on Ratledge.
2. Miami Dolphins
You could copy and paste most of the reasoning for the Texans' selection for the Miami Dolphins as well. The Dolphins need starting offensive linemen and depth for their team as a whole. Tua Tagovailoa's health is a season-changing issue for the Dolphins, and left tackle Terron Armstead recently retired, so they can use any help they can get on their line.
3. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs aren't hurting on their interior offensive line, but they made some changes this offseason. Losing Joe Thuney as their starting left guard could leave room for them to address that position in the draft. Ratledge could be a solid addition to the Chiefs' front with two of the best players at their position. Ratledge is athletic enough to play in Andy Reid's scheme and is great in the run, so he could be a perfect fit.
4. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals went all in on offense this offseason. They need to continue that wave by addressing their guard positions. The Bengals need their QB healthy, and Ratledge could be the answer on the interior. The addition of Ratledge would bring more youth to this offensive line as well and would also be nice to pair him with his former teammate Amarius Mims.
5. Indianapolis Colts
This is more of a wildcard pick from a team need stand point, but the Colts need to add more beef as they lost lost guard Will Fries in free agency to the Vikings. Now they do have young offensive linemen set to replace him, but injuries could derail this group easily, so there is still a need for more depth.