Lions' Offensive Line Still Has Significant Question Mark Ahead of NFL Draft

Detroit has invested heavily in its offensive line under general manager Bob Quinn. Replacing Graham Glasgow at right guard will be no easy task.

John Maakaron | Mar 30, 2020

The Lions have invested heavily on their offensive line, yet have continued to struggle in effectively establishing a top-flight rushing attack.

Right tackle Rick Wagner was released in order to free up salary-cap space. His tenure in Detroit can only be viewed as disappointing.

In an attempt to replace Wagner, Halapoulivaati Vaitai was signed to a five-year, $45 million contract.

Vaitai should be able to effectively run block. But, there have been issues in the past with Vaitai’s pass blocking.

And there is still the issue of who will play alongside him.

Graham Glasgow's tenure in Detroit ended when he signed a four-year, $44 million deal with the Denver Broncos.

The loss of Glasgow is significant, and many have been left scratching their heads as to why Quinn and Co. devalued the position.

Recall in 2019, Glasgow was part of a rotation with Joe Dahl and Kenny Wiggins at right guard.

It is expected that the Lions will select an interior offensive lineman in the NFL Draft, since Oday Aboushi is better suited to be a role player who comes off the bench.

Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus credits center Frank Ragnow and Glasgow for Detroit's 11th-ranked offensive line a season ago.

"At this point last season, we were discussing how Frank Ragnow was all over the map after his rookie season at guard. Following his switch to center prior to this season, Ragnow finished 2019 as the sixth-highest graded player at the position in a much-improved sophomore campaign. Ragnow increased both his pass-blocking grade and run-blocking grade nearly 15 points from his rookie season. Taylor Decker and Graham Glasgow also enjoyed top-10 finishes at their respective positions in overall PFF grade."

The Lions' search for a right guard could find them selecting Glasgow's replacement as early as Day 2 of this April's draft.

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Published Mar 30, 2020

JOHN MAAKARON

John Maakaron has covered Detroit Sports since 2013. Brings a vast array of experience covering the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Detroit Mercy Titans, and Oakland University Golden Grizzlies. John brings a wealth of sports broadcast experience. In 2013, John had the vision to establish the Detroit Sports Podcast Network. Has recorded over 3000 podcasts analyzing Detroit Sports. In 2019, Sports Illustrated Media Group, a historical sports media outlet, partnered with Detroit Sports Podcast to provide daily Lions content for their growing and expanding digital media outlet. Our Lions content can also be read in the newspaper at The Oakland Passionate about Detroit Sports and it is reflected in his coverage of the local teams!