The Detroit Lionsโ decision to enter Week 1 without a traditional backup center suddenly makes a little more sense.
According to Jeff Risdon, someone attending Detroitโs pregame club gathering Sunday relayed that general manager Brad Holmes revealed Tate Ratledge was the Lionsโ highest-graded center in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
That is notable because Ratledge was primarily viewed as a guard coming out of Georgia. Detroit selected him 57th overall in the second round, and the Lionsโ official player profile notes that all 37 of his college starts came at right guard.
He stayed there as an NFL rookie, starting all 17 games for Detroit in 2025.
But apparently, the Lions saw something else during the evaluation process.
Detroitโs Emergency Center Plan Makes More Sense
That information adds important context to Detroitโs Week 1 offensive-line plan.
The Lions did not elevate Seth McLaughlin from the practice squad for Sundayโs opener, leaving Juice Scruggs as the starting center and Ratledge as the primary emergency option. We previously examined why Detroitโs decision to carry no true backup center created some risk.
If Holmes and his scouting department actually graded Ratledge as the best center prospect in the entire 2025 class, Detroitโs comfort level becomes considerably easier to understand.
The NFLโs 2025 draft evaluation listed Ratledge as a guard, but his strength, intelligence and interior versatility were always part of the appeal. Detroit has continued cross-training him at center since Cade Maysโ wrist injury forced the Lions to explore multiple replacement options.
Ratledge is still Detroitโs starting right guard.
But Holmesโ reported comment suggests the Lions never viewed him as only a guard.
And if something happens to Scruggs on Sunday, Detroit may be considerably more comfortable moving No. 69 to center than anyone outside Allen Park realized.
