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NFL
ESPN dissects Lions' biggest remaining roster hole after NFL draft
TL;DR
ESPN identifies the Detroit Lions' biggest remaining roster hole as right guard, despite addressing other needs in the 2026 NFL Draft. The team is relying on improvement from second-round pick Tate Ratledge, who struggled last season.
Key points
- Detroit Lions addressed top needs in the 2026 NFL Draft
- Biggest remaining roster hole is at right guard
- Tate Ratledge struggled last season with low block win rates
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions addressed some of their top areas of need with their 2026 NFL Draft picks.
But, where can the roster keep improving? ESPN examined each NFL team's biggest roster hole following the draft. Where is the Lions' biggest roster hole?
According to ESPN's Aaron Schatz, it's still up front along the offensive line at right guard.
This isn't a hole the Lions are going to try to plug because they're counting on improvement from 2025 second-round pick Tate Ratledge. However, he was a real weakness last season. Ratledge's pass block win rate of 87.4% ranked 63rd out of 65 qualifying guards, and his run block win rate of 69.9% was below average. - Aaron Schatz, ESPN
The Lions' starting offensive line appears set after the 2026 NFL Draft and Tate Ratledge is very much a part of that at right guard.
The organization and Dan Campbell have been high on Ratledge from the jump. Campbell said in August of last year that Ratledge looked like a starting NFL guard. Sure enough, the 6-foot-6, 315-pound offensive lineman out of Georgia did start all 17 games at right guard.
While ESPN's numbers on Ratledge are discouraging, Ratledge earned a 73.5 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. That ranked 12th among all NFL guards and second among rookie guards.
Q&A
What position is the Detroit Lions' biggest roster hole after the 2026 NFL Draft?
The biggest roster hole for the Detroit Lions is at right guard.
How did Tate Ratledge perform last season for the Lions?
Tate Ratledge had a pass block win rate of 87.4%, ranking 63rd out of 65 qualifying guards, and a run block win rate of 69.9%, which was below average.
What did ESPN say about the Lions' strategy for addressing their offensive line?
ESPN noted that the Lions are not looking to plug the right guard position immediately, as they are counting on improvement from Tate Ratledge.
