If the Detroit Lions offensive line does not learn from their mistakes in 2025, they are going to be at risk of missing the playoffs for the second straight season. Offensive line coach Hank Fraley stated that there is a simple solution for the Lions group to get back to where their reputation stands.
“If you look back at last year, we weren’t as consistent as we needed to be,” stated Fraley.
The team did some shuffling along the offensive line as they looked for that level of consistency. While they are bringing in a few fresh faces, the development of their two guards, Christian Mahogany and Tate Ratledge, might be the most important pieces, and the two that Fraley is talking about the most.
The Detroit Lions Need More Consistency On Their Offensive Line
GettyOffensive tackle Penei Sewell of the Detroit Lions.
Detroit is expected to start Blake Miller at right tackle and Cade Mays at center. While those two are hoping to bring more consistency to the position, they were not on the roster last year. So, it is hard to say that they need to be more consistent than they were for the Lions last season.
Penei Sewell will be switching from right tackle to the left side this year. That will come with a degree of questions that need to be answered. However, when you think of Sewell, inconsistency is not the word that comes to mind.
These three spots are going through changes, and they are expected to be much healthier at all three spots. Simply with that, they should be more consistent. However, on the field, they do not need more from these players.
So, the area where the Lions need consistency is clearly at guard.
Lions Need More Consistent Play at Guard
They are expecting to see that level of consistency at right guard with Ratledge. Ratledge was a second-round pick and did not miss a game during his rookie season with the Lions. The biggest thing he lacked was experience.
Detroit should expect him to be much improved in his second year now that he is more conditioned to the NFL. The rookie mistakes need to be gone now.
Christian Mahogany started 11 games at left guard after starting in just one game during his rookie season. He suffered an injury and came back, which showed grit. He is also a sixth-round pick, so he is outdoing expectations already. However, the Lions seem to be unsure of his role on the team moving forward.
Head coach Dan Campbell said that he expects the team to have competition at left guard. Second-year player Miles Frazier, free agent Ben Bartch, and former left tackle Giovanni Manu are all expected to be in the mix to push Mahogany for his starting job.
An argument can be made that shuffling three positions and having a competition at a fourth spot is not the best recipe for a consistent offensive line. However, now is the time to find the right five to go into 2026 without any questions.
Lions Coach Sends Clear Message to Offensive Line