This offseason, the Detroit Lions have more work to do than they’ve had to do in previous years. There are potential roster holes at tight end, running back, defensive line, linebacker, and defensive back.
But none are more important than fixing the offensive line, and that discussion beings with the most important personnel decision the Lions must make this offseason: who is playing at the center position?
In this post, we’re going to recap the 2025 season from the interior offensive linemen, look at their current roster situation, and discuss the many options Detroit has to improve this unit to the high standard we’re used to.
Previously:
Lions 2025 recap: Interior offensive line
- Graham Glasgow stats (15 games, 14 starts):
- 56.8 PFF grade — 32nd out of 37 qualifying centers
- 61.3 pass blocking grade — 27th
- 54.3 run blocking grade — 35th
- Tate Ratledge stats (17 games, 17 starts):
- 70.3 PFF grade — 22nd out of 80 qualifying guards
- 58.5 pass blocking grade — 55th out of 77
- 73.5 run blocking grade — 10th out of 77
- Christian Mahogany stats (11 games, 11 starts):
- 59.7 PFF grade — 46th out of 80 qualifying guards
- 40.7 pass blocking grade — 72nd out of 77
- 68.0 run blocking grade — 24th out of 77
- Kayode Awosika stats (13 games, 4 starts):
- 57.9 PFF grade — DNQ
- 52.5 pass blocking grade
- 60.5 run blocking grade
It was not a banner year for the Lions’ interior offensive line. The sudden retirement from All-Pro center Frank Ragnow left the Lions weak in the interior, and it showed up in several ways on offense. First, Jared Goff incurred 38 sacks, the most ever in his 10-year career. Secondly, the Lions’ run game efficiency plummeted. After posting the seventh-best rushing success rate in 2024 (44.9%), they dropped all the way to 22nd this past year (40.7%, per NFL Pro).
Injuries to Mahogany and Glasgow didn’t help the situation, nor did the extreme youth at the position. Many of the issues with the unit—particularly early in the season—were miscommunications and lack of chemistry with the offensive line. But it’s fair to wonder if the issues ran far deeper, as Detroit’s running game really stalled out the worst at the end of the season.
2026 for outlook
- C/G Graham Glasgow (signed through 2026)
- G Christian Mahogany (2027)
- C/G Tate Ratledge (2028)
- G/T Miles Frazier (2028)
- G/T Colby Sorsdal (2026)
- C/G Michael Niese
- G Mason Miller
- C Seth McLaughlin
Pending free agents:
- C/G Trystan Colon
- G Kayode Awosika
The Lions actually have a deep bench of interior offensvie linemen signed for the 2026 season, but within those signed players lies a few big decisions. There is no decision bigger for the Detroit Lions than to decide who will be the team’s center in 2026. But within that decision itself are three more sub-decisions they need to make.
Graham Glasgow: Staying or going?
Glasgow was the team’s starting center in 2025, and it wasn’t his best year. He’s a valuable depth piece, and his best position may be at right guard, where he could still theoretically provide above average play. But with a $6.5 million salary due this year, Detroit has to decide whether Graham can be a starting center or guard, if they’re willing to pay that much for a backup, or if they believe they can spend that $6.5 million better elsewhere.
Tate Ratledge: Center or guard?
Ratledge played at right guard all season, and by the end of the year, he was playing at a top-20 level among all NFL guards. But Detroit clearly drafted him with the belief that he could eventually play center. While they abandoned that expirement pretty early in training camp, Lions general manager Brad Holmes insisted they weren’t deterred by what they saw from Ratledge at the pivot.
“Tate is obviously an option, for sure. He’s done it before—he did it in OTAs, didn’t think that he was a fish out of water,” Holmes said.
Free agency, trade, or the draft?
If the Lions decide that Glasgow and Ratledge aren’t the answer at center, Detroit will need to find an option in the draft or free agency. Free agency offers some intriguing—but likely expensive—options in Tyler Linderbaum and Connor McGovern. Someone like Arizona’s Hjalte Froholdt is a popular trade target, although he’d likely have to come with an expensive extension. The draft doesn’t look like it has a ton of plug-and-play options, but Kansas State’s Sam Hecht made some noise at last week’s Senior Bowl.
Outside of those decisions, there is still a lot to work out with this group, including:
- Is Christian Mahogany good enough to lock down a starting job?
- Where does Miles Frazier fit into the equation? Can he compete for a starting guard job, or is his future possibly at tackle?
- What does Seth McLaughlin have to offer as a sneaky post-season addition?
Truth be told, the Lions’ interior offensive line may be the most interesting position to follow this offseason.
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