Recent Lions draft pick's starting chances take hit after 2025 NFL draft

4 hours ago 1

This offseason, the Detroit Lions lost a key piece of their offensive line, as starting guard Kevin Zeitler signed a one-year, $9 million deal with the Tennessee Titans in free agency.

Zeitler's departure left an opportunity for competition at right guard, but 2024 sixth-round pick Christian Mahogany was the favorite to win the job after the Lions failed to add a single veteran offensive lineman through the first waves of free agency.

However, in the 2025 NFL draft, Detroit used their second-round pick (No. 57) on Georgia guard Tate Ratledge and their fifth-round pick (No. 171) on LSU guard Miles Frazier, who will likely now battle Mahogany for the starting job in training camp and the preseason.

Ratledge, 24, played 38 games for the Bulldogs over his five collegiate seasons. He won two national championships and earned All-SEC and All-American honors twice.

Frazier, 23, played 15 games at Florida International, earning Freshman All-American Honors with the Owls. He transferred to LSU in 2022 and started all 39 games over three seasons.

Mahogany played just 75 offensive snaps in 2024, but he earned an 81.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking him seventh among 136 guards. He also received an 82.6 pass-blocking grade (fourth) and an 80.8 run-blocking grade (10th).

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Mahogany could still win the job, but now he'll have legit competition, and left guard could also be open with Graham Glasgow not exactly having his best season in 2024. PFF gave the 32-year-old a 58.9 overall grade (85th) a 57.8 run-blocking grade (91st) and a 56.2 pass-blocking grade (88th).

Dan Campbell will want the best group out there to protect Jared Goff and provide running lanes for Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. If he thinks the two rookies are his best options, he could ride with both of them and possibly move on from Glasgow and Mahogany or keep them around as depth options.

However, there's plenty of time for those decisions to be made. Over the next few months, Ratledge and Frazier have to learn a new offense and adapt to playing at NFL speeds before they can worry about winning any jobs as rookies.