How ready is Lions rookie Miles Frazier to compete for starting job? Here's what a study of his college tape revealed
It was understood going into the 2025 NFL Draft that the Detroit Lions needed to come away with interior offensive line depth. Landing at least one option with early-career starting potential would have been particularly beneficial, following the departure of Kevin Zeitler in free agency and veteran Graham Glasgow coming off one of his worst seasons as he inches toward the end of his career.
It wouldn’t be for another couple of months before we realized how much greater the urgency to address that roster area would become. All-Pro center Frank Ragnow’s abrupt retirement this summer at 29 years old only emphasized the need for an influx of blocking talent.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes, who stated in January that he wanted to keep the entire garden watered when discussing investing in the line, got off to a strong start with the selection of Georgia’s Tate Ratledge in the second round. Again, we didn’t know it at the time, but the Lions potentially found Ragnow’s replacement with that pick.
After the Ratledge addition, Holmes kept the hose running into the draft’s third day, snagging LSU guard Miles Frazier, a versatile lineman who primarily played guard for the Tigers but has some offensive tackle on his resume from earlier in his college career. He also served as LSU’s backup at those spots, including a spot start at right tackle for his final game at the school.
Unlike Ratledge, Frazier isn’t expected to immediately be in the mix for a starting job with the Lions. However, last year’s sixth-round pick, Christian Mahogany, proved it’s possible to carve out a path to an opportunity quickly. Presumably, the three youngsters — Mahogany, Ratledge and Frazier — could be Detroit’s projected starting interior a year from now.
Before that potential future arrives, we’ve already taken a deeper look at what Ratledge brings to the table via a study of his University of Georgia tape. Now it’s time to do the same with Frazier, to understand his strengths and weaknesses and how he could fit into the team’s future plans up front.
Games watched
Vs. Ole Miss, @Texas A&M, vs. Alabama, vs. Baylor (bowl game)