5 things to know about new Detroit Lions G Tate Ratledge

A few things you should know about Detroit Lions second-round pick Tate Ratledge.

The Detroit Lions drafted Georgia guard Tate Ratledge with the 57th overall pick after trading up a few spots to grab him.

Here are five things you need to know about the Lions’ newest guard.

Ratledge is a fantastic leader

Ratledge was one of my standouts from the NFL Combine press conferences. Mainly, his defense of his quarterback as a team captain. Carson Beck went through some struggles last year, but Ratledge was always by his side.

“I knew how the way I talked to him would affect him at that time. So that was kinda my goal throughout the season: keep him as level-headed as possible,” Ratledge said. “Carson’s a great kid and very misunderstood.”

Here’s what Georgia coach Kirby Smart had to say about Ratledge after he was drafted to Detroit:

Ratledge has a tattoo of a lion

I couldn’t find a great photo of it, but during his Zoom call with Detroit media, Ratledge revealed his tattoo of a lion. The purpose of the tattoo had nothing to do with the Detroit Lions, and when a reporter brought it up to him minutes after he was drafted by Detroit, he hadn’t even made the connection.

“That kind of came full circle and I didn’t even process that until now, but I mean, just a little bit of foreshadowing, I guess,” Ratledge said.

The meaning of the tattoo?

“I think lions are the king of the jungle for a reason,” Ratledge said. “Just their mentality, their attitude, the way they go about their whole life. I mean, I think that’s just something that I kind of attached my lifestyle to, just that mentality that is never satisfied, never quits.”

He was an elite pass protector in college, but only at one position

According to PFF, since 2022, Ratledge posted a 87.9 pass blocking grade , which ranks fourth among all guards. PFF also credited him with just two sacks allowed in his entire college career and 18 pressures total.

At Georgia, he played almost exclusively right guard in college. And while he’s willing to play wherever the Lions want him to, he knows it’s a big transition to play elsewhere.

“Last fall camp I took a lot of snaps at center. Just like I can imagine going to left guard, I mean, it was a big transition,” Ratledge said. “I had to get used to it. It took me a few days. I think when it comes down to it, a lot of the same rules apply. It’s just figuring out different footwork, hand placement, how to set people and how to run block people. It’s just figuring out different techniques and how to perfect those at different positions.”

He worked out with Duke Manyweather in the pre-draft process

Manyweather is considered one of the biggest offensive line gurus in player development today, and Ratledge was one of the few who had the privilege to work out with him prior to the NFL Draft . He was also one of Brandon Thorn’s favorite guards in this year’s class. Here’s Thorn talking with Ratledge about his own play:

He likes being called a “dirtbag”

Ratledge sports a mullet and a mustache, a classic dirtbag look. He credits the mullet to a COVID idea that started as a joke, but just kind of hung around.

“It was just a complete joke, ended up keeping it,” Ratledgeg said. “Had like an eight-month awkward phase, now it’s turned into this. So, it is what it is. It’s caught a lot of attention, I guess.”

But on the field, Ratledge’s personality is just as much of a dirtbag mentality. At the NFL Combine, when he was told that he had earned the “dirtbag” moniker, he embraced it completely .

“I love it. I feel like to be a good offensive lineman, you’ve got to have a little bit of that in you but know how to control it at the same time,” Ratledge said. “So, for somebody to say that about me, I appreciate it because I feel like that’s how I play.”

The Lions already have a “dirtbag” on the roster. Lions 2024 sixth-round pick Christian Mahogany was described that way after Detroit drafted him. Ratledge is fine with having a couple of dirtbags in the room.