2018 NFL Draft - Detroit Lions - Round 1

Frank Ragnow.

With the 20th pick in round 1 of the 2018 draft the Detroit Lions select.... Frank Ragnow [gasps] [shocked silence] That was the fans and various talking heads... but in the Cincinnati War Room it was all cussing. The Lions just selected their pick, so they went with Billy Price next instead (also a center). But wait a minute, is Ragnow a center? Sure he played it for 2 years, but the year before that he played Guard. And before that, in High School, he played Tackle. He's versatile.

Ragnow will be 22 on May 17th, so he's 21 now. I saw a graphic the other day that more players have success in the NFL if they start at a younger age, Ragnow will be on his 5th year option when other players who get drafted at that age (25) often do not succeed. So he is the right age. His RAS score (when I last updated my scores) was 9.85 (that's against all centers not just this draft class). So, he fits the suit. Unlike Tomlinson who scored below a 3 if my memory serves me, Ragnow is an elite athlete.

But can he play?! PFF who says they study more film on prospects then even NFL football teams do (and they might), ranks Ragnow as the 16th best player in the 2018 draft. They have him as their best center in this draft. We don't know if he'll play center, he might play guard, but yes, he can play.

He has played in a pro-style offense and should be more ready then most to start right away. It's entirely likely he will become the starter, at either left guard or center. My assumption is at left guard, but that depends on Glasgow a little bit, as in how well he does in pre-season and in the team activities. The problem is, is he really all that? Some of my draft guides had him as the 3rd best center. He was ranked 40th overall, 26th overall, 95th overall, 72nd overall, 33rd overall, 36th overall, and those are just the draft guides I have. My rank? He was the 41st on my board. But, not everyone watches every game, as I explained in my last blog post, you can't watch all the games of all the players for all the years they played the sport. Not enough hours to watch it all before they retire from the NFL (joking, barely). So some guides think he's worth the pick, and others don't. Kind of sounds like the fans.

Myself, I prefer to draft my centers in round 3 and my guards in round 4. But, the Lions weren't drafting someone to slowly bring up to starter ready (as in a few years), they were drafting to start. To help fix the dismal run game. To protect one of the most sacked QBs in the NFL last year. So why Ragnow? In two years he allowed no sacks. Zero. Nada. Also, in those two years, he only allowed 15 hurries. Total. That's like half a hurry per game and no sacks. Now that's protection! Get this, his run blocking is BETTER then his pass blocking. Almost all the guides agree on that.

Now don't get me wrong, I totally wanted a defensive line player in the first round. I was prepared to accept a Safety or an OLB who can be used to pass rush (though that is actually situational, and you don't normally draft situational in round 1 unless it's the last piece of your puzzle). I was even prepared to see them draft guard Will Hernandez, who has a RAS score of 8.79. Well that means Ragnow's RAS (athleticism) score is BETTER then Hernandez and Hernandez was not drafted in round 1 and is now still available in round 2. So are defensive players such as DT Hurst, OLB/DE Landry, RB Guice, WR Sutton, RB Chubb, and most of the TEs. There is something up with that. There is a reason. I don't know what it is, but for some reason these players are still available. Will they make it to 51? I've no more clue then anyone else. What it appears to me is, the players the Lions wanted ahead of Ragnow were taken, and the players taken later weren't ranked by the Lions as high as Ragnow. So that makes the pick okay.

It might be better then okay, but I just can't go there yet. We'll see. Looks promising. There is no reason to think or even have a gut feeling that things won't work out. Aside from the position he plays and the round he was taken in, there is nothing to complain about. It was a need. So I will shelve my objections to taking a guard or center that early, and assume, for now, that he is worth the capital spent to get him (the draft pick). The Patriots had two first round picks and they took an OT/OG (not sure which he will be, kind of short for a tackle) and a running back, and their defense was maybe worse then the Lions.

Quinn said he likes to build from the ball out. Meaning the trenches. Ragnow is a trench player. He just doesn't play defense. BUT if he can protect Stafford in pass-pro and help the run game, then I can forgive he's an offensive player taken in round one. It'll also be easier to take once I see the rest of the draft, as the Lions still have 5 more picks scheduled over the next two days, and all of them could be defense. (They could all be offense too, you know, but let's not go there).

If you are need of convincing yourself, then just think -0- sacks allowed and only 15 hurries in 2 years of college play. That will help if anything will.