By Michael Stets
ALLEN PARK—Lions GM Bob Quinn said, “It starts in the trenches,” after drafting Arkansas center Frank Ragnow with pick No. 20 in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft on Thursday evening.
It was certainly a bit of a surprise, but one of Quinn’s philosophies is to “Build through the middle,” and with the interior of the offensive line being one of the team’s needs, the Lions GM competed his overall of the offensive line, which began in his first year when he drafted tackle Taylor Decker out of Ohio State in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Ragnow, 21, played in 42 games for Arkansas with 33 consecutive starts and will brings size and power to the position. He has the versatility Quinn covets with the ability to play both center and guard, playing 15 games at the latter during his college career. The six-foot-five 312-pounder never allowed a sack during his four years at Arkansas, which is quite impressive considering some of the defenses he had to play against in the SEC.
In addition to the aforementioned attributes, it’s also the Chanhassen, Minn. native’s toughness, physical style of play and what Lions head coach Matt Patricia described as a “Dominating attitude” that made him such an attractive choice in the first round.
To put it simply: Ragnow likes to put a hurting on people.
“Well, I just think one of my favorite things about playing football is finishing,” Ragnow said in a conference call on Thursday night with local reporters. “The thing that is great in the trenches is just battling and trying to put another man on his back against his will. That’s what I guess I take pride in and I’m excited about and we will see if I can translate that to the next level and I’m excited to get to work and make that happen.”
The battle between the offensive and defensive lines is obviously an important one. And when an offensive lineman can mow down a defensive lineman or linebacker with a pancake block, driving his opponent into the ground in violent fashion, it can set the tone for a game. Bringing his brand of physical demeanor to the football field, Ragnow says, is imperative.
“I take a lot of pride in the way that I play and how hard I play,” said Ragnow, who desribed being taken in the first round as a “Dream come true.” “I take a lot of pride in finishing guys and I think that is very important. It’s a physical game and I think that is a very important part of it.”
But what is the origin of Ragnow’s love of “finishing” whoever lines up against him on the football field? He says it stems from his days playing pee wee football, when his size wouldn’t allow for him to be a ball carrier.
“To be an offensive lineman, you don’t get much of the glory. You don’t get much of anything. You gotta love football. I just love that part of the game. It’s just kind of been what drew me to the game. I’ve always been the bigger kid. I was the double striper (a player who has exceeded the ball-carrying weight limit) when I was little. I wasn’t able to touch the ball. You definitely kind of have to fall in love with it and that’s what I’ve always been in love with.”
The NFL Draft continues on Friday with Round 2 and 3. The Lions have picks No. 51 and No. 82.