The Detroit Lions have a chance to bolster their roster this offseason, and while the offense doesn’t have many holes, the line remains a big question.

Detroit may have competition to keep veteran Kevin Zeitler, and will have to decide if they wish to start guard Christian Mahogany and draft another player to bolster the interior. One spot that many have wondered about is center given Frank Ragnow’s age (28) and complicated injury history.

Ragnow, though, is coming off a fantastic 2024 season. By his recent standards, he stayed very healthy. Additionally, he played fantastically as a new Pro Football Focus analysis showed.

Jim Wyman looked at the best centers in the league, and Ragnow ranked No. 3 on his list with an overall 86.1 grade. A big reason was his ability to be an elite run blocker even as he endured an uncharacteristically tough year as a pass blocker.

“Ragnow has anchored the Lions’ offensive line for many years and continues to be among the game’s best at the position. His 90.9 PFF run-blocking grade ranked second in the league, marking his third season above 90.0.”

“He earned a pedestrian 65.8 PFF pass-blocking grade, allowing 21 pressures, but that was fueled by two games where he allowed five pressures and another where he allowed 4; otherwise, he didn’t surrender multiple pressures in his other 14 games. If we remove these outliers, Ragnow’s PFF pass-blocking grade jumps to 86.2 and his PFF overall grade to 93.4, each of which would be career highs.”

Frank Ragnow encouraged by future even after playoff frustration

Coming off a solid season, it doesn’t seem Ragnow will retire soon. While his health history has been a concern, this analysis is proof the Lions can continue to get solid play out of Ragnow. There’s no reason to open a hole where there isn’t one on the roster, and the Lions don’t have to rush a draft pick at center if they aren’t ready to make the move.

While Ragnow may have been frustrated by Detroit’s defeat in the playoffs, it was also clear that he felt strongly about the Lions’ season. Following the loss, Ragnow shared a motivational message into the offseason and is excited by what the future could offer the franchise.

At this point in his career, Ragnow is one of the leaders of the Detroit locker room. He is still playing at an elite level, and that’s great news for a Lions franchise that needs to keep their veteran anchors around.