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USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Lions OTA notebook from the final offseason workout before training camp
Lions OTA notebook from the final offseason workout before training camp The Detroit Lions held their final OTA workout session that is open to the media on Thursday. Due to inclement weather, the practice was indoors at the team's training facility in Allen Park. Being indoors constrains the practice. There is only one field, and the viewing angles for the media are different than what we normally get. With many veterans already gone or not participating in the unpadded walkthrough, there wasn't a great deal of notable action. The biggest takeaways from the practice: Rookie Tate Ratledge took the first-team reps at center, followed by Colby Sorsdal. Veteran Graham Glasgow was not participating in the practice. Kingsley Eguakun played at left guard with the second-team offense and didn't get any center reps that I saw. Newcomer Trystan Colon is wearing No. 67. He took early walkthrough reps but did not align in the team walkthrough drills. Christian Mahogany continues to work exclusively at left guard. With Glasgow not playing, Kayode Awosika took the first-team reps at RG. Giovanni Manu was the first-team left tackle and Dan Skipper on the right side with starters Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell not participating. There is nothing detailed beyond that to be gleaned from performance in an unpadded, half-speed practice for any linemen. First-round rookie Tyleik Williams did mix in some defensive reps, an upgrade from last week's session when he merely observed. Again, it's half-speed so nothing too strenuous. Derrick Barnes also participated in that capacity, which was nice to see. On the offensive side of the ball, free agent signee Kenny Yeboah saw some action after missing last week's session. With the news that Malcolm Rodriguez is likely out until at least November, the Grant Stuard signing is looking more important all the time. Stuard continues to get considerable reps at LB and is also the first-team punt protector for Jack Fox. Without revealing too much detail, Dan Skipper and Jamarco Jones are the best receiving options amongst the offensive linemen. Netane Muti and Michael Niese, not so much... Following practice, wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown told us he had minor knee surgery earlier this offseason. He's not participated in any OTAs but expects to be ready for training camp next month. Skipper volunteered to be the first player to meet with the media after practice, to talk about Frank Ragnow. He noted that he once hosted Ragnow on his official visit to Arkansas back when the Razorbacks were recruiting the freshly retired center. The Lions are now off until training camp, which fires up in July ahead of the Hall of Fame game against the Chargers on July 31st.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Report: Lions signing OL Trystan Colon following Frank Ragnow's retirement
June 4 - The Detroit Lions' search for a replacement for retired All-Pro center Frank Ragnow now includes veteran Trystan Colon, according to an NFL Network report on Wednesday. Colon, formerly known at Colon-Castillo, is signing a one-year contract, per the report. He played in all 17 games last season for the Arizona Cardinals and made a career-high seven starts at right guard. The 27-year-old played center for the Baltimore Ravens and made four starts from 2020-22, then 11 starts at right guard for Arizona in 2023 and 2024. He has played in 51 games and started 15. He became a free agent on March 11. Ragnow, 29, announced in a post to social media on Monday that he is retiring after seven NFL seasons. A first-round pick out of Arkansas and a key cog on one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, Ragnow was named second-team All-Pro last season and made the Pro Bowl four times. He started all 96 regular-season games and four postseason games he played from 2018-24 but has dealt with numerous injuries. Tate Ratledge stepped into Ragnow's starting role during offseason workouts. He's a converted guard who started three seasons as a right guard for Georgia. If the Lions decide the rookie second-round pick isn't ready, left guard Graham Glasgow has started at center and could slide to that position. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
What did the pre-draft scouting reports say about Lions 5th-round OL Miles Frazier?
The Detroit Lions traded up to select LSU guard Miles Frazier in the 5th round of this year's draft. Frazier is the second offensive lineman the Lions selected after grabbing Ohio State's Tate Ratledge in Round 2. The pick represents a continued long-term investment in the driving force behind the Lions' offense that has carried them to the playoffs the last two seasons. Advertisement Scouting reports on Frazier ahead of the draft projected him among some of the better offensive linemen in the country, making his fall to pick No. 171 a surprising one depending on where you look for analysis. Here's a look at a handful of key points from scouting reports from national media outlets: Prospect Grade: 6.18 (out of 8) League Projection: Good Backup with Potential to Develop into Starter NFL Next Gen Stats Total Score: 71 (2025 Combine G Rank No. 12) Analysis from NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein: Four-year starter who classifies as a physical short-area guard with satisfactory height, weight and length. Frazier has knock-back pop and is capable of mauling in tight spaces. His short pulls and lead blocks around the end are solid. Difficulties with reach blocks and second-level cut-offs on stretch plays could cause zone teams to scratch him. He possesses adequate range and foot quickness in protection and is fairly clear-eyed to recognize gaming fronts. His hand placement is average and he's tight in his knees, which could be a concern for his anchor. Frazier has things to clean up but carries pro measurables and a play demeanor that gives him a shot to become a starter. 2024 Run Block Grade: 64.1 2024 Pass Block Grade: 88.0 2024 Overall Grade: 70.3 Analysis from PFF: Frazier's athletic ability and versatility give him a solid chance to be a swingman in the NFL. His lack of length makes him a better fit at guard, but he'll need to get stronger in order to have a chance at a starting role. Grade: 7.2 Overall Draft Rank: 90 Position Rank: IOL 10 Pro Comparison: Billy Turner Analysis by BR NFL Scout Brandon Thorn: Miles Frazier is a four-year starter with at least one start at every position but center and the bulk of his time spent at guard. Frazier started 12 games in 2024 inside LSU's pass-first (60-40 pass-run split), multiple-run scheme. Frazier has a wide-bodied frame with good length, mass and girth throughout his build. He has adequate athletic ability and good play Frazier has below-average movement skills and erratic sustain skills but is a big, strong, experienced guard prospect with impressive proven versatility on his resume and the skills to carve out a role inside a downhill, vertical run scheme. Draft Projection: Adequate Starter, Day 2 Selection Analysis from Daniel Harms: Miles Frazier draws attention with his size and power as soon as the tape comes on. Coming in at 6-foot-6 and 238 pounds, he looks the part of an NFL offensive lineman with the length to match. LSU showcased a lot of zone read and inside zone run concepts while Jayden Daniels was quarterbacking the team, but Frazier is a better power run fit with his explosive and powerful downhill Frazier plays with the right mentality and physicality, which is helped in the phone booth at guard. He's a guard-only prospect with many tools to succeed at the next level in a power-run scheme offense. This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Miles Frazier: What pre-draft scouting reports said of Lions rookie OL
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Detroit Lions rookie minicamp observations: Notes on each draft pick
The Detroit Lions rookie class took the field on Friday morning for the first of three rookie minicamp practices. This was the only of the three that will be opened to the media, so I took as detailed notes as I possibly could. Here are my biggest takeaways from practice, particularly with Detroit's seven 2025 draft picks. Advertisement Note: For a full list of participants, check out this earlier story on the UDFA signings and tryout players. DT Tyleik Williams As pointed out in an earlier article, Williams was quite limited in his time on the field due to a plan laid out by the Lions. He only participated in a handful of sped-up walkthrough reps before working with a trainer on the hill at the back of the practice field. In what limited action we saw, Williams did stand out because of his size. Listed at 334 pounds on the Lions' roster, no one else on the field looked even close to matching his size. He did line up at both nose and three tech from what I saw. G Tate Ratledge Most notably, Ratledge was the primary center when the team began practices with full-team walkthroughs. It was hard to tell definitively, but I would say he came close to splitting those reps with undrafted rookie Leif Fautanu. During the other half of his time, Ratledge played right guard. Advertisement Here are the two offensive line lineups I noticed during the opening walkthrough—the only time the offensive line did full-team work: Team 1: LT: Bryce Benhart LG: Leif Fautanu C: Tate Ratledge RG: Miles Frazier RT: Mason Miller Team 2: LT: Bryce Benhart LG: Kingsley Eguakun C: Leif Fautanu RG: Tate Ratledge RT: Miles Frazier WR Isaac TeSlaa While TeSlaa did get some work in the slot, the high majority of his playing time was spent on the outside during Friday's practice. During walkthroughs, the Lions did not throw the ball, but he was heavily featured when Detroit went to 7-on-7 drills. In fact, all three of the first passes of practice went to him, with the rookie catching two. The first catch was a nice adjustment from TeSlaa, coming back on a ball that was thrown back shoulder on the sidelines. On the other, he cleanly beat the cornerback on an out route, where he took a stab inside that slowed the corner down. The one incomplete pass was broken up by the defender, although there was a pretty clear jersey tug during TeSlaa's break. Advertisement What was most interesting was how the Lions challenged him defensively. For most of practice, they lined up six-year NFL veteran Duke Shelley opposite him, and it's clear the Lions coaching staff wanted him to play press-man coverage on TeSlaa—something he didn't deal with much at college. It was a strong start to practice for TeSlaa, but it was overall an up-and-down day for him. He had another pass his way broken up after not creating separation, and he fell down on a couple of routes as well. That said, there were a couple of instances where he was able to beat his press coverage and flash his speed, even though the ball didn't necessarily come his way. G Miles Frazier As pointed out above, Frazier played both right guard and right tackle. That's nothing new for Frazier, who backed up both tackle spots at LSU while starting (mostly) at right guard. Based on limited reps on Friday, he was more successful inside. Frazier admitted there are some things he's already learning at tackle. Advertisement 'At tackle, you have to have a lot more patience and just more read and react than start the fight. Here, now I'm learning to switch up my sets instead of going at a vertical angle. Jump set, flash set, just have different sets at tackle, so I feel like that's definitely going to help me play tackle here, as well,' Frazier said. EDGE Ahmed Hassanein While Hassanein looked noticeably small for what the Lions typically like in an EDGE (he's 6-foot-2 compared to Marcus Davenport's 6-foot-4), it was also easy to see the motor that endeared him to Detroit. Several times, he made his way into the backfield during walkthroughs, and he even displayed a pretty impressive long-arm against an interior lineman—despite relatively short arms. Perhaps the most Hassnein-like moment happened during individual drills, where players were working on an edge bending drill that finishes with a tackling of a dummy. The horn sounded to rotate to the next drill, but Hassanein pleaded to coaches to give him one more shot. They obliged, and Hassanein finished the drill. S Dan Jackson It was hard to give any insightful analysis of Jackson when so much of practice was focused on run fits. Jackson did blitz once and get to the quarterback, but the play I noticed him most was when he was near the box, lined up in man coverage against tight end Zach Horton. Advertisement Horton ran a difficult route to match, cutting all the way across the field on a shallow crosser. Jackson immediately recognized the route and worked through all of the traffic to stay on him. Had the pass been thrown (this was walkthroughs), Jackson would've been all over it. That matches some of the intelligence and instincts that are on his college tape. WR Dominic Lovett Lovett is the one draft pick I didn't have any notes on. Other standouts: Undrafted rookie WR Jackson Meeks made the offensive play of the day, catching a deep ball—with tryout cornerback Tavian Montgomery draped all over him—for an impressive contested catch. He high-pointed the ball perfectly. In an early battle between the two, Meeks also came away with the contested catch in tight coverage. Another UDFA who stood out was Vanderbilt cornerback Tyson Russell, who logged back-to-back pass breakups in the final sessions of 7-on-7s. On one, he showed strong closing speed, aggressively attacking the hands of a receiver on a comeback route. Friday was our first opportunity to see several new Lions coaches in action, and none stood out more than running backs coach Tashard Choice. He was the loudest and most energetic coach on the field, and was equally intense and playful. More from
USA Today
05-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Where the Detroit Lions sit in latest ESPN power rankings
Where the Detroit Lions sit in latest ESPN power rankings With the 2025 NFL Draft in the books and rookie minicamps underway, teams are now full speed ahead for the 2025 season, so it's time for places to freshen up their power rankings as teams will soon have on-field OTA work and really begin preparation for the 2025 season. ESPN just updated their power rankings following the draft. The question is, where do the Lions sit following their draft haul that included Ohio State DT Tyleik Williams and Georgia OG Tate Ratledge? The Lions check in at No. 4, behind the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills. Each writer was also tasked with selecting which position group is the most improved this offseason. Lions writer Eric Woodyard went with the offensive line as the most improved position. Woodyard wrote: "For the past three seasons, offensive line has been one of the strongest units on the roster. However, after losing veteran guard Kevin Zeitler to the Titans in free agency, Lions general manager Brad Holmes used draft picks to keep that unit rolling. He drafted versatile offensive linemen in Tate Ratledge and Miles Frazier, who will be trained at different positions so they can beef up the O-line. Those rookies will also learn from veterans such as Graham Glasgow, who has thrived in the NFL due to his positional versatility." The Lions have been a consensus top-5 team across the media landscape and, very often, the second NFC team behind only the Eagles. It's going to be exciting when the Lions meet the Eagles this season, a matchup that could very well kick off the season on September 4 and be a potential NFC Championship game preview.
