The Detroit Lions are seriously betting on Christian Mahogany's development into a solid starter in 2026. The left guard didn't have a spectacular season in 2025, not exactly imposing his will against opposing defensive lineman and being a piece of the issue with the Lions' offensive line overall.
If he can't cut it immediately, Detroit added a key insurance player in case of that emergency: Ben Bartch, who previously played for the San Francisco 49ers prior to signing with the Lions in a small deal. He's a six-year veteran seeking to make a name for himself amid a rotating cast on the Lions' line.
Bartch's numbers don't leap off the page - injuries tamped him down with San Francisco, preventing him from getting meaningful reps with the team. However, Detroit is clearly betting on his upside, which is to say, the intriguing numbers he posted despite that lack of experience in 2025.
Bartch could be key to Mahogany's development
In 195 snaps at left guard, Bartch allowed just four pressures, posting a run blocking grade of 69.7 and a 65.4 pass blocking grade, per PFF. Again, this is an unbelievably small sample size for Bartch, who comes over to the Lions seeking a legitimate opportunity to start given Mahogany's past struggles.
Mahogany, on the flip side, posted an abysmal 40.7 pass blocking grade and an overall grade of 59.1, per PFF, through 699 snaps at the position. Now, this slip in production could've been attributable to the lack of force up the middle for Detroit overall. Graham Glasgow at center was a failed experiment, and Tate Ratledge did the best he could as a rookie entering a full turnover on the line.
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Mahogany deserves the same benefit of the doubt that Ratledge has gotten, but at the same time, he's got to feel the heat with Bartch coming over. And, Miles Frazier will finally get a shot at earning a role at left guard following an injury suffered prior to his rookie season in 2025.
As the guard seeks to bounce back following a broken leg, he'll have at least two players breathing down his neck for his job. And, Bartch can legitimately unseat him if all goes to plan. The Lions love to bet on high-upside guys on cheap deals - see Al-Quadin Muhammad's 11.5 sack year. They would greatly benefit from re-creating that same magic with Bartch.
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