Getty Frank Ragnow playing the Lions offensive front.
The Detroit Lions have several players capable of being excellent in the future to carry their franchise forward, and one of the best building blocks for this might reside along their offensive line.
Recently, Pro Football Focus took a closer look at some players who can be seen to be the most underrated in the league. Detroit’s center Frank Ragnow made the cut as a player the site and writer Ben Linsey loves for his game.
Linsey wrote:
“Ragnow was a PFF favorite coming out of Arkansas in the 2018 NFL Draft after several seasons of strong grading at the college level, but he struggled in pass protection out of the gates as a rookie. The Lions moved Ragnow to center in 2019 — a position where he dominated in college — and his results improved. Ragnow ended last season as the sixth-highest-graded center in the NFL, and his 78.3 run-blocking grade trailed only Jason Kelce at the position. Set to remain the team’s starting center heading into 2020, Ragnow is poised to continue to develop into one of the top young interior offensive linemen in the NFL.”
Certainly the Lions have a solid building block in Ragnow and a guy they can depend on in the middle of the line who is set to do damage into the future. That’s true even if many folks don’t know his name or understand how good he can be moving forward.
Frank Ragnow Named Lions Most Improved Player During 2019 Season
Who was the most improved player in the mind of the analysts for Detroit last season? A look at that was recently provided by Pro Football Focus and analyst Ben Linsey, and interestingly enough, it was Ragnow again.
For the Lions, Linsey had center Ragnow pegged as the team’s most improved player, and explained that a shift back to a natural position helped Ragnow take off in his sophomore season in the league. Here’s what was written in the piece:
“We talked about it before the season, and Ragnow’s move from guard in his rookie season to center in 2019 did, in fact, make all the difference. It was his more productive position at Arkansas, and it is his more productive position through two years as a professional, as well. Ragnow’s 64.4 overall grade in 2018 was a respectable mark, ranking 15th among qualifying left guards, but his 74.9 grade in 2019 bordered on the center position’s elite and ranked sixth among 38 qualifying centers. There was an improvement from Ragnow across the board as both a pass blocker and as a run blocker. He should only continue to improve in the middle of the Lions’ offensive line, given his track record of success at the position in college.”
Ragnow has a great future with the Lions if he can continue his development and also stay away from dangerous situations off the field.
Obviously, this rise is what the Lions had in mind for Ragnow when they made him their first round pick a few years ago. Continuing to see Ragnow develop and improve will be something for the Lions to celebrate.
Frank Ragnow Lions Stats
Thus far in his career, there is very positive feelings about where Ragnow’s career is heading, because he’s been a solid player for the Lions up front along their offensive line. A first round pick in 2018 out of Arkansas, Ragnow has played guard and center for the team before switching back to his natural position in the middle of the line.
Thus far in his career, Ragnow has started 31 games for Detroit and has been a rock for the team’s front. He hasn’t made a Pro Bowl or been an All-Pro player yet, but many see that trajectory for him as he continues to mature and push through his career.
Frank Ragnow a Building Block for Lions
Much is unknown about which direction the Detroit offensive line will take the rest of the 2020 offseason, but the one thing that seems certain is that Ragnow will be a huge part of that direction. He’s solidified things in the middle of the line for the team, and will be a huge part of the future in 2020 and beyond after being a first round pick of the team a few years back. It’s very safe to say Ragnow is the top building block up front for the Lions right now.
It’s good for the Lions to have a solid youngster to build around up front, so the hope is Ragnow go from underrated to properly rated in due time for the Lions.