Tate Ratledge finds new home with Super Bowl caliber team in Round 2 of 2025 NFL Draft

Ratledge, a former four-star recruit from Tennessee, kicked off his college football career at Georgia in a reserve role before emerging as the Dawgs' starting right guard in 2022. In his final two years at Georgia, Ratledge logged 1,300 offensive snaps while allowing just two sacks, which earned him back-to-back First-Team All-SEC honors and All-American honors. 

As if his Georgia resume wasn't enough, Ratledge added to it at the NFL Scouting Combine in February after he scored a 9.97 relative athletic score (out of 10), which ranked fifth out of 1,583 offensive guards dating back to 1987.

According to several draft experts, Ratledge is NFL-ready and has what it takes to become a full-time starter as a rookie. The Lions could turn to him to replace Kevin Zeitler, a veteran guard they lost in NFL free agency last month. 

Tate Ratledge Scouting Report

Offensive guard, Georgia

Hometown: Chattanooga, Tennessee

23 years old (04/26/2001)

A to Z Sports Expected Draft Position: 63

Pre-Draft Round Projection: 2

"Offensive line is relatively strong at the top of the class, but there are some interesting players available on day two. One of those is Georgia guard Tate Ratledge. He suffered an ankle injury that required tightrope surgery, but he came back and played well throughout. He was a five-star recruit in 2020 who became a three-year starter on a really good offensive line at Georgia. Ratledge is a versatile player with elite athleticism and a mullet to match. Overall, Ratledge is a player who could start day one but should be a definitely good starter by the end of his rookie contract," Tyler Forness, A to Z Sports NFL Draft analyst.

Career Projection: Eventual Good Starter