Frank Ragnow is the newest member of the Detroit Lions. How does he fit Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia’s roster? Let’s discuss the first round pick.
Just after eight p.m., NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, announced the beginning of the 2018 NFL Draft. Detroit Lions general manager, Bob Quinn, with help from new head coach, Matt Patricia, made the call. The card came in and we held our breath to see if we would approve, or if we were ultimately disappointed.
“With the twentieth pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select… Frank Ragnow, center, Arkansas.” We will discuss how the pick fit the expectations.
Leading up to the Pick
While Bob Quinn commanded his war room, fans watched nineteen other teams select prospects. Much of the hullabaloo surrounded the quarterbacks. Five were considered first round worthy; four were expected to go in the first ten picks. Saquon Barkley, the Penn State running back, was considered by many to be the best athlete available. Bradley Chubb, the North Carolina State defensive end, was rated as good of a prospect as Cleveland Browns end, Myles Garrett, who went number one just last year.
The surprises started with the first pick, where the Cleveland Browns selected Baker Mayfield, quarterback, instead of Sam Darnold, another quarterback, who went third to the New York Jets. Four of the top ten were signal callers, which was not a surprise. Surprisingly, Rashaad Penny, not Derrius Guice, was the second running back taken at pick 27. Sony Michel, the third running back taken, went with pick 31, too.
Who was available
As expected, some of the prospects that were mocked to the Lions came off of the board prior to the Lions pick. There was speculation that the Lions may trade down if one of their top options were not available. That was not the case. Quinn stayed at 20. Once the pick came, Quinn had several very good options. They were: Isaiah Wynn, Taven Bryan, James Daniels, Connor Williams, Harold Landry, and Rashaan Evans, to name a few. Center Frank Ragnow made his case with his play on the field, though, and a strong combine workout.
Pre-draft projections
Any glance at social media or the internet will probably bring up about 75 mock drafts if you mention the draft. So, the list of needs for the Lions is pretty well documented. Bob Quinn insists that he will be selecting the BPA, best player available, regardless of position. By sheer luck, his BPA strategy always seems to net players at positions of need.
The list I am working off of goes like this: Defensive end, defensive tackle, offensive guard/tackle, running back, weakside linebacker, tight end, cornerback, and backups or depth at most any other position. Those first few needs could be flipped, moved, or shuffled based upon who is available.