There’s no way around it: All-Pro center Frank Ragnow’s retirement is a significant blow to the Detroit Lions.

Ragnow, a first-round draft pick in 2018 who racked up accolades in the middle of Detroit’s vaunted offensive line, is irreplaceable. He’s among the best centers of this generation, and his early exit at 29 years old leaves a massive hole at one of the NFL’s most important positions.

But the Lions, eyeing their first Super Bowl in 2025, have no time to feel bad for themselves. Replacement plans have presumably already begun inside the mind of head coach Dan Campbell, and there are some in-house options that make sense. Graham Glasgow’s 40 career starts at center make him a logical first thought.

Another idea, however, is to have second-round rookie Tate Ratledge move inside. Ratledge, a former Georgia standout, is a natural right guard, with all 34 of his collegiate starts coming in that role. During rookie minicamp and offseason team activities (OTAs), though, he’s been getting first-team reps at center.

What will it take for Ratledge to fully make the transition and grab hold of Detroit’s vacant center spot? The Detroit News spoke to Cole Cubelic, a former starting center in the SEC who now offers analysis for ESPN and on his radio show (The Cube Show), to find out.

“First off, the operation of it is unique,” said Cubelic, who played at Auburn (1996-01) and has been covering the SEC for more than a decade, overlapping with Ratledge’s five-year run at Georgia (2020-24). “It’s different if you haven’t done it. … But with proper repetition, you can get to where it is second nature more so than you can a lot of other things, even in football or other sports. It’s never gonna be just natural, but you can simplify it with repetition.”

Cubelic, a respected voice when discussing trench play, tabbed physicality as one of Ratledge’s defining traits as an offensive lineman. He also mentioned Ratledge’s “natural strength,” which “most offensive lineman are going to have to have, but his is definitely above average.”

Ratledge’s mean streak and rugged style is beneficial — there’s a reason general manager Brad Holmes compared him to 2024 sixth-rounder Christian Mahogany, who Holmes complimentary referred to as a “dirtbag” — but that aggression is something Ratledge will have to learn to turn on and off at center, Cubelic said.

Guards often don’t have to communicate heavily when at the line of scrimmage. Centers, meanwhile, are in charge identifying the defensive front, noting where pressure may be coming from and disseminating that information in a conscience manner to the quarterback and fellow linemen.

All the while, the play clock is ticking, and fans are making it difficult to hear.

“There has to be a calming factor, specifically at that position pre-snap, because you have to distribute a lot of information. … You have to see things, you have to react to things and there needs to be an understanding of processing that quickly and then sharing that quickly,” Cubelic said. “All that can be difficult. …

“You’re worried about you a lot of the times (at guard). Well, at center, very rarely can you get away worrying about yourself. You’ve got to make sure that four other guys are on the same page; you’re going to have to make sure that you and your quarterback are on the same page. … Getting to the line of scrimmage, processing those things, seeing those things, understanding how to share that information quickly and in a way that everyone understands and can absorb it and then utilize it, that’s not easy.”

Becoming adept at center — both as a communicator and as a blocker — takes time, but that’s why the Lions have Ratledge working at the position so early in the offseason. The team knows he can play guard, so now they’re letting take his lumps at center.

At best, he could be Ragnow’s replacement. At worst, he can serve as depth behind whoever ends up at center.

“He definitely needs some time there (at center) training. It’s going to become natural for him,” offensive line coach Hank Fraley said last month. “I thought what he did in rookie minicamp was pretty good, for handling that. Our centers, like across the whole league, they do a lot. They have a lot on their plates. They’re like quarterbacks of that O-line. They set a lot of the protections, a lot of the calls, and they work one-on-one with the QB.

“In time, he’s going to get it down and become a pretty good center here.”

ALLEN PARK — On paper, there isn’t much room for Sam LaPorta to grow.

The Detroit Lions tight end has tallied 1,615 yards and 17 touchdowns on 146 receptions through the first two seasons of his career, numbers that each rank in the top four among players at his position since 2023. The former Iowa standout has seemingly improved as a blocker, too, both in the run game and a pass protector.

So, what’s next?

“Start to see the game from the quarterback’s perspective, what Jared (Goff) needs exactly,” LaPorta, who is in the midst of his first healthy offseason since he was a senior with the Hawkeyes, said Thursday. “And maybe not just knowing what I’m doing on the field, but what other people are doing, as well. Just seeing the big picture.”

LaPorta’s cerebral growth will have much to do with guidance from new tight ends coach Tyler Roehl, who was hired in February to replace Steve Heiden. Roehl, 39, came over from Iowa State, where he spent one season. Before that, he held various roles — ranging from fullbacks coach to offensive coordinator — at North Dakota State from 2014-23.

Roehl’s job with the Lions is his first gig in the NFL.

“He’s been great so far,” LaPorta said of Roehl, who interviewed with the Lions in previous years before he was hired this time around. “Our first phone call he talked about gaining trust with us. I think he’s starting to do that. I love him so far. Very fiery. … And we appreciate all of that.”

It took some time for LaPorta to look like himself in 2024 — he averaged 37.3 yards through the season’s first six games, and his targets in that span (17) trailed receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown (50) and Jameson Williams (30) and running back Jahmyr Gibbs (22) — but he got rolling midseason and finished strong, averaging 67 yards over the regular season’s final five weeks.

The early dip in production concerned some who hoped LaPorta would continue a linear ascent following his record-breaking rookie season, but LaPorta wasn’t sweating much. He’ll never turn down more targets, but he’s aware of the talent surrounding him. Sometimes, passes wouldn’t come his way. Other times, he’d be fed. That’s the nature of being a part of an offense with two 1,000-yard receivers (St. Brown and Williams) and perhaps the league’s best tandem at running back (Gibbs and David Montgomery).

“There were a lot of weapons last year, so I kept hearing comments this offseason, ‘Why didn’t you get the ball as much?’” LaPorta said. “It’s like, ‘Dude, we scored the most points of any team in the NFL in the last five years. Everybody deserves the ball.’”

LaPorta expects the offense to look similar despite Ben Johnson’s exit to Chicago, but he’s open to hearing new ideas from new coordinator John Morton: “There might be different ways that Johnny wants to give me the ball, maybe other areas where we might step away from it,” LaPorta said.

“I think there’s a relationship that needs to be built there as well, and we’ll learn what each other needs.”

ALLEN PARK — Rookie minicamp can be overwhelming.

The on-field work isn’t terribly taxing compared to what’ll come in training camp, but first-year players are often drinking from a firehose — learning the playbook and getting mental reps is the biggest test — when they initially arrive in the building of the NFL team that drafted them less than a month prior. Doing this amongst a crowd of new coaches and teammates makes it all the more challenging.

But for wide receiver Dominic Lovett, who the Detroit Lions selected with the 244th overall pick, he’s got a familiar shoulder to lean on.

“I’ve seen (cornerback) Ennis (Rakestraw Jr.) around the building. I almost cried. He’s done gotten so big. He’s grown up,” Lovett, clearly a jokester, said Friday after the first practice of rookie minicamp. “That was a great full-circle moment because Ennis really helped me when I got to Mizzou. He was that big-brother figure for me. Just to come back, see him — him basically being another big brother for me, just at a higher level, the highest level, I can’t ask for more than that.”

Lovett and Rakestraw spent two seasons together at Missouri (2021-22) before the former transferred to Georgia ahead of the 2023 season. Rakestraw, Detroit’s second-round pick in last year’s draft, arrived to college one year ahead of Lovett, and he imparted his knowledge on the receiver early on in their overlapping tenures.

“I would say that Ennis helped me from Day 1 when I was at Missouri, all the way up until now,” Lovett told reporters through a Zoom call April 26, shortly after the Lions drafted him. “We had great battles, one-on-ones. There were days he got the best of me and there were days that I got the best of him. But every day after practice, he would stay with me and help me with something on how I can beat a defender and what a defender doesn’t like. And vice versa, I would also give him tips, as well. … Even when I was at Georgia, I could still call him and get tips.

“And now that we’re teammates, man, it really just come full circle.”

It’s no guarantee Lovett makes Detroit’s initial 53-man crew as a rookie — standing out as a seventh-round pick is difficult on one of the NFL’s best teams — but his path to the active roster is clear: Make the most of his moments on offense, and (more importantly) shine when given a chance on special teams.

Lovett didn’t play much on special teams at Missouri, but he served an important role on punt coverage while at Georgia. The Bulldogs allowed 57 yards on punt returns last season, but they didn’t allow a single yard in 2023. That’s a credit to punter Brett Thorson and Georgia’s gunners — Lovett and Arian Smith, who the New York Jets selected in the fourth round last month.

“Honestly, it was really just hard work,” Lovett said of the incredible defense on punt return. “Really, the big thing is probably communication, just being on the same page as the other 10 guys with you, knowing what everybody’s assignment was, where they had to be. Shout out to the greatest punter in the world. You know who you are.”

Lovett added: “I didn’t play special teams until I got to Georgia. That’s where I found my value — actually, my love in it. I feel like special teams is just another way to be on the field and also another way to compete. I feel like it’s a one-on-one battle from the man across from you. It’s just you versus him. I told them I’m willing to do whatever to get on the field. So, you need me on special teams? I’ll do it to the best of my ability and have fun.”

Lovett (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) spent most of his time at Georgia in the slot, but he’s confident in his ability to play on the outside. Lovett did receive 223 snaps out wide when he was a freshman at Missouri, though that number shrank in 2022 (54), 2023 (82) and 2024 (79), as he took on more of a slot-centric role.

But just because he didn’t see much opportunity there doesn’t mean he thinks he can’t get the job done, if needed.

“It don’t really bother me,” Lovett said of those who claim he can’t play on the outside. “It’s an adjustment. Everybody has to get adjusted. That’s a challenge that I’m ready to take on. When the time comes, I’m just going to do what I do.”

ALLEN PARK — Tate Ratledge thinks he’s going to fit right in with the Detroit Lions, and it’s not because of his tattoo.

That part is simply a coincidence.

Ratledge, who has a lion inked on his right forearm, sees similarities between the program he’s leaving — Georgia, which has won two of the last four national titles — and the franchise he’s joining. Lions head coach Dan Campbell and Georgia headman Kirby Smart both “believe in physical football players, tough football players (and) smart football players,” and Ratledge, an offensive guard who stood out as a starter for the Bulldogs over the last three seasons, fits that description.

“I’m here to do whatever helps the team win,” Ratledge told reporters through a Zoom meeting Friday evening, shortly after the Lions selected him with the 57th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. “I’m a team player through and through. If they need me to go kick out to tackle, I’ll go kick out to tackle. If they need me to be an X receiver and run go balls, I can do that. … I just want a chance to compete, and a chance to go out there and do my best every day.”

The Lions moved up three spots to secure Ratledge, trading Nos. 60 and 130 to the Denver Broncos in exchange for Nos. 57 and 230. They leapt over the Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens in the process. The Raiders and Ravens went on to select TCU receiver Jack Bech and Marshall pass rusher Mike Green, respectively.

It was the first of two trades on Friday for the Lions, who later moved up for Arkansas receiver Isaac TeSlaa.

Ratledge (6-foot-6½, 308 pounds) made 34 starts in his tenure at Georgia, with each coming at right guard. He’s credited with allowing two sacks and 18 total pressures over 1,180 career pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus, and his grade as a run blocker in 2024 (74.7) ranked 32nd among the 315 guards who received at least 150 run-blocking snaps.

The Lions already have veteran Graham Glasgow and 2024 sixth-round pick Christian Mahogany on the roster, but Ratledge figures to compete with them for a starting role. Glasgow, 33 years old in August, appeared in 16 of Detroit’s 17 games last season. Mahogany, meanwhile, got one start in the regular season and another in the playoffs, impressing in the limited sample size.

“I’m in the spot right now where all I can do is ask for a chance to compete,” Ratledge said. “I think I have a lot of those traits to go to a winning program, coming from one, knowing what it takes; knowing what has to be done to win. Right now, I’m in the position where all I can ask for is a shot to compete. Go in there, compete and give it my all every day and try to make that team better.”

Last year, general manager Brad Holmes affectionately said Mahogany has “got some dirtbag in him.” The phrase was meant as an ode to the mean streak and toughness Mahogany plays with, and Ratledge falls in that same bucket.

Ratledge doesn’t think it’s possible for an offensive lineman to play at a high level without having some “dirtbag” to him. That’s music to the ears of Campbell and Holmes.

“Just like Mahogany fit what we were looking for, Tate fits what we’re looking for — whether he’s got his mullet or not,” Holmes said. “He plays the game the right way. He’s tough; he’s physical; he’s a lot more athletic than you may think, and he’s got a lot more versatility than people may realize. That’s really when he really, really rose through the process for us. Those guys fit. They’re smart; they’re tough; they’re gritty, and they play our style of ball.”

Ratledge’s mullet, which has already begun to develop a cult-like following, was born as a joke during the COVID-19 pandemic. His father gave him the haircut in their front lawn, and he decided to keep it after an “eight-month awkward phase.”

A Georgia native who was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2020, Ratledge had been at Georgia for the last five seasons. The Lions never had him in for a visit in Allen Park, but the team met with him while at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. Ratledge remembers speaking with offensive line coach Hank Fraley and having “extensive” conversations about the system and “just knowing football.”

“I’ve always been a fan of Coach Campbell and the way he runs his program, just seeing what he has to say, how he runs his team, the way his offensive line plays,” Ratledge said. “Just everything about the way he runs his team, I feel like, is a great fit.”