Former Georgia football offensive lineman Tate Ratledge has already secured a starting spot on the Detroit Lions offensive line. The question that remains however is what position he will play.
The Lions so far this offseason have weighed playing him at center or right guard where he played at Georgia. Recently Detroit opted to try him out at center for a few practices, but it sounds like that did not go so well for him.
But there is no need for Ratledge to worry, because the Lions have opted to just slide him over to right guard where he will be the starter this season.
The #Lions tried rookie Tate Ratledge at center for a few TC practices, but it now appears Ratledge will serve as the starting RG -- where he thrived in college -- and veteran Graham Glasgow will take over at the pivot. https://t.co/4rChGhK2uL
— Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors) August 3, 2025
Tate Rateldge wasn't meant to play center with Detroit
Ratledge gave it his best shot for three practices as the Lions center, but it unfortunately didn't work out for him. The reason he was shifted back to right guard though wasn't because he wasn't good at playing center, it was because quarterback Jared Goff had a better rapport fellow offensive lineman Graham Glasgow who will now play center this season.
Here is what Detroit Offensive Coordinator John Morton had to say about Ratledge giving center a try for a few days.
“I love how smart he is. And he’s just going to continue to grow," John Morton shared via profootballrumors.com. "I mean, I thought he did an exceptional job when he was at center. I mean, that’s a lot mentally. Different snap counts and audibles. It was a lot and I thought he did a pretty good job. I’m really happy where he’s at.”
Ratledge finds himself in a very nice spot in Detroit as the Lions project to be one of the best teams in the NFL this season. On top of that, Ratledge wasn't supposed to even be a starter as rookie this fall with Detroit. The Lions drafted him to be a backup offensive lineman this season, but veteran Frank Ragnow decided to retire out of nowhere which allowed Ratledge to immediately earn his starting spot on their offensive line.
So out of all of Georgia's rookies this season, Ratledge will be one of the most exciting Bulldogs to keep tabs on. Not only because he will be on the field a lot this season, but because the Lions have a chance to compete for a Super Bowl Championship this year.