Number Six – 2018
Selection/Position: Frank Ragnow / Guard
Draft position/School: 20th overall / Arkansas
Tenure with Lions: 2018 – present
Lions statistics: 16 games played, 16 starts
It may seem a little unjust to judge and rank Ragnow after just one season. However, his play as a rookie offered some glimpses into what kind of player he is, and what he could become for the Lions.
The Lions selected Ragnow as part of Bob Quinn’s passion project of reshaping the offensive line. Despite other needs on the roster at the time, Quinn stuck to his guns and selected the former Razorback.
Ragnow had an up and down rookie season, but he looks like a keeper and will be relied upon to be a key member of the Lions offensive front for years to come. It will be fascinating to see how the next two interior offensive lineman selected in the 2018 draft perform next season in comparison to Ragnow.
Those players – Billy Price selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in round one and Will Hernandez selected by the New York Giants in round two – were also chosen to help cure their team’s woes on the offensive line. Keep an eye on the comparative play of these three in 2019. The Lions can’t afford to have made the wrong choice here.