Lions Blog: Frank Ragnow Links (After the Draft)

Articles:

NFC NORTH: 2018 NFL Draft breakdown (Best pick: General manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia wanted a tougher and more physical football team, and they appear to have accomplished that along the interior of their offensive line with the selection of Ragnow, who's a technician inside with a mean streak. That’s a good combination to have at either center or guard, especially when the Lions want to be better running the football. Ragnow completes an offensive line group in Detroit that’s expected to be much better this year given they stay healthy.) (5-1-18): http://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-draft/article-1/NFC-NORTH-2018-NFL-Draft-breakdown/d3436e05-5b34-4eae-a197-268f94ac51b4

Greg Cosell analyzes Lions' 2018 draft picks (Frank Ragnow: “Very comfortable and composed in his pass sets with controlled lateral movement and good knee bend for his height and length. Showed the needed lateral movement and balance to mirror and re-direct in pass protection, showed very good awareness and recognition of stunts and pressures. Excellent snap to step quickness as a run blocker which was especially evident versus even fronts getting to the second level. Excellent awareness reading second level movement and executing combo blocks with timing and efficiency. “Played with excellent overall balance and body control and was a refined efficient technician. Snap to snap consistency of execution a defining feature of Ragnow's game. "The strength of his game is consistency of execution with a refined understanding of blocking schemes and angles. A deceptively good athlete, which showed up in his athletic testing at Arkansas Pro Day. Ragnow also brings excellent fundamental technique and advanced feel and awareness combined with good natural strength and high-level competitiveness and toughness to the interior offensive line position. "Ragnow's game is about efficiency of execution and he stood out in that area getting the job done snap after snap and that kind of consistency, when combined with high level competitiveness, almost always translates well to the NFL and interior offensive line play. "They (Detroit) want to have some kind of physical run team, so now they have Ragnow, who's that kind of guy. Very competitive and physical guy. "Detroit has tough guys (on the interior of the offensive line). You probably wouldn't call any of those guys super highly athletic, but I've learned in studying interior linemen over the years that's the least important thing for interior guys. It's competing. It's getting it done. It's battling. It's technique. You don't have to be a dancing bear on the inside.") (4-30-18): http://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-draft-weekend/article-1/Greg-Cosell-analyzes-Lions-2018-draft-picks/8bb4d4f2-e55a-4879-8b3f-1a7bc7b5a1e3

Lions' Ragnow inspiring others in father's memory (4-29-18):  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/04/29/frank-ragnow-detroit-lions-nfl-draft/561291002/

Bret Bielema predicted Frank Ragnow being a first round pick (4-29-18):  https://247sports.com/nfl/detroit-lions/Bolt/Bret-Bielema-predicted-Frank-Ragnow-being-a-first-round-pick-117821030

2018 NFL draft recap: The best and riskiest Lions picks, and what's left to do (Best pick: People were mixed on the Frank Ragnow pick. One local writer flunked him. I don't get it. There were reports Cincinnati was prepared to take him one spot later, and New England wanted him at 23. Yet people say Detroit reached? I don't get it. Seems to me Quinn anticipated the run on offensive linemen, got the guy everyone wanted and forced the Bengals (Billy Price) and Patriots (Isaiah Wynn) into their Plan Bs. Sure, the Lions could have used a front seven player here, like many (myself included) anticipated. But the value wasn't there. Not after Vita Vea, Da'Ron Payne, Marcus Davenport, Tremaine Edmunds and Leighton Vander Esch all went in the eight picks before Detroit. And it seems other teams agreed with that appraisal, because only Rashaan Evans went in the next nine picks. The consensus seems clear -- the value was bad in the front seven in the early 20s, and the value was great on the offensive line. And Detroit got the guy everyone wanted. Ragnow didn't allow a sack in college. He was graded the best center in the country by ProFootballFocus. And he has the versatility to start at multiple positions right away. No matter how the lineup shakes out, the Lions now have Quinn guys all across their front. They have new coaching and a new scheme, too. This unit has a chance to go from a liability to a real strength next year -- and that has the potential to pay off in so many ways, from the franchise quarterback under center to the two new backs in the backfield. Consider me a huge fan of the pick, even if it went in an unanticipated direction.) (4-29-18):  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2018/04/2018_nfl_draft_recap_the_best.html

Here is the Detroit Lions' 2018 draft class (4-28-18): http://www.mlive.com/expo/erry-2018/04/b83ff334dc745/here_is_the_detroit_lions_2018.html

Pros and cons for every 2018 NFL first-round draft pick (Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas - Why they did it: The Lions wanted to protect Matthew Stafford, which led to the offensive line and center Frank Ragnow from Arkansas. That’ll mean Graham Glasgow is going to be at guard, but this is a stunning pick from Bob Quinn. Biggest question: Sure, the Lions needed interior offensive line help, but defense has been the bigger issue. This one is a very surprising pick, considering Harold Landry, Taven Bryan and Rashaan Evans were on the board. -- Michael Rothstein) (4-27-18): http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/274225/pros-and-cons-for-every-2018-nfl-first-round-draft-pick

Lions' Frank Ragnow content playing C or G (4-27-18): https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/04/27/detroit-lions-frank-ragnow-bob-quinn/559905002/

New Lion Ragnow ready to protect 'Mr. Stafford' (4-27-18):  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/04/27/detroit-lions-nfl-draft-frank-ragnow-matthew-stafford/559785002/

Ragnow eager to make his name known with Lions (4-27-18): https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/04/27/ragnow-eager-make-his-name-known-lions/34330363/

Lions' Ragnow puts fishing show on back burner — for now (4-27-18): https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/04/27/lions-ragnow-puts-fishing-show-back-burner-now/34329109/

What Lions’ Frank Ragnow said at opening press conference (4-27-18):  https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/04/27/lions-frank-ragnow-said-press-conference/34325573/

The best quotes from Frank Ragnow's introductory press conference in Detroit (4-27-18):  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2018/04/the_best_quotes_from_frank_rag.html

Ragnow embraced his role in the trenches early on (4-27-18):  http://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-draft-weekend/article-1/Ragnow-embraced-his-role-in-the-trenches-early-on/feb65dee-745a-4c51-b873-e8c9fdada648

PFF's eight best picks of the 2018 NFL Draft's first round (Our top-graded center in each of the past two seasons, Ragnow joins a Lions team in desperate need both a run-blocker and a pass-protector on the interior of their offensive line. Detroit finished last season with the 20th-ranked pass-blocking unit and the 17th-ranked run-blocking group. Ragnow consistently graded extremely well in run-blocking, including last season in which he ranked first among draft-eligible centers in run-blocking success percentage (94.6 percent). Rounding out his skillset on the interior, Ragnow also did not allow a sack across 1,242 snaps in pass protection during his four years at Arkansas and allowed only a total of 35 total QB pressures in four seasons.) (4-27-18):  https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-best-picks-from-the-2018-nfl-draft-round-1