Not a lot of noise has been made about Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes continuing to suggest Tate Ratledge as an option at center. When asked about that glaring hole on the Lions' offensive line after Detroit had been officially eliminated from the postseason, Holmes said:
"I'm not trying to dodge your questions, but we don't have all the answers right now. I have full confidence to say we don't have all the answers right now. If I did, you should be concerned. We have not had the time to do a deep dive analysis of our roster that we plan to do. Obviously, you know, Tate is obviously an option, for sure. He's done it before. He did it in OTAs. Didn't think he was a fish out of water."
So, if the Lions don't aggressively pursue a talent like Connor McGovern or Tyler Linderbaum in free agency, this is likely why. They see Ratledge as a viable solution at center. Which then begs the obvious question: who could they replace him with at right guard? Right now, their only option would be to put Kayode Awosika there full-time, which didn't look great in 2025.
Another option? The Lions get the steal of the draft on Day 2, snagging Senior Bowl practice standout RG Keylan Rutledge.
Lions should seriously consider spending Day 2 pick on RG standout
Rutledge had a great first day of practice ahead of the Senior Bowl, with several reporters on the ground giving him specific praise for his aggression and pancakes throughout the day.
#GT OG Keylan Rutledge had a nice session in one on one and double team blocking vs. D-line. Physical at the POA. pic.twitter.com/IbGgRdA61W
— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) January 27, 2026
Jordan Reid of ESPN added to the praise, writing, "National team coaches repeatedly had to tell Georgia Tech OL Keylan Rutledge to stay up and tone down the physicality in team period. He took snaps at all 3 interior spots during that session and finished it with a nasty pancake. Very impressive start to practice for him."
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Rutledge finished up his 2025 season with Georgia Tech with a PFF pass-blocking grade of 77.5, allowing only five quarterback pressures and two hits. Also, zero sacks. He's a machine on paper, and looks the part: he stands at 6'3" and 316 pounds.
Detroit is not going to regret adding legitimate power on their offensive line this offseason, even if it's through the draft and it's a bit of a gamble.
And, given how conservatively Holmes has approached roster construction the last few years, it really does feel like the team might be asking Ratledge to try playing center rather than reconstructing a bunch of deals in order to get a starting center on the market.
Rutledge is someone that could save Holmes' job if he does take that approach with Dan Campbell this offseason and ahead of training camp. And, this pick would create a two-headed, Ratledge-Rutledge monster that we must see for the name similarities alone.