The Detroit Lions offensive line is now easy to anoint as the best in the NFL, anchored on both ends and in the middle by first-round picks. The guard spots have also been held down generally well, and veteran Kevin Zeitler was signed as essentially the replacement for the departed Jonah Jackson this offseason.
Last offseason, the Lions brought back an offensive lineman who was originally drafted by them in 2016 (the same draft as Taylor Decker). The decision by the previous regime to let him go in free agency was a flimsy one. and in need of a versatile interior lineman (if not a starter at right guard) the reunion made a lot of sense.
Graham Glasgow took over as the starter at right guard for the Lions early last season, and the only time he let it go is when he had move to replace an injured Frank Ragnow at center or an injured Jackson at left guard. All he did was finish as a top-10 graded guard by Pro Football Focus (75.1 overall grade during the regular season), with the fifth-best run blocking grade at the position (82.1).
It was a no-brainer for the Lions to re-sign Glasgow when he hit the free agent market again in March, and it actually got done before his agent could have even talked to other teams. He will move over to left guard to accommodate the addition of Zeitler to play right guard, but Lions' fans likely remember Glasgow played left guard at a solid level early in his initial run with the team.
Graham Glasgow named 'best kept secret' on Lions' roster
Matt Holder of Bleacher Report recently named the best kept secret on every NFL team. The Lions have multiple candidates who could fit that bill (Alim McNeill, Brian Branch), but Holder went a little deeper to go with Glasgow.
"Glasgow has eight NFL seasons under his belt, including five with the Lions, so the Michigan product isn't a secret in the Detroit area. But he hasn't received much recognition outside of those parts, and he's been a solid interior offensive lineman throughout his career."
"The 31-year-old proved to be valuable last season by taking reps at all three interior offensive line spots while earning a 75.1 grade from Pro Football Focus and recording over 1,000 snaps."
Holder is right to point out that Glasgow is not a big secret to football fans in the Detroit area. But he's not a well-known name league-wide, as could be expected operating as an interior offensive lineman with no Pro Bowls or All-Pro teams on his resume.
But the Lions know how valuable Glasgow is, and opponents saw how good he was last year. And those things are ultimately all that matters.