Tag: Tate Ratledge

Lions wrap up weekend by drafting a pair of Georgia Bulldogs

S Dan Jackson and WR Dominic Lovett headed to Detroit

ALLEN PARK — The Lions wrapped up the NFL draft by selecting a pair of Georgia Bulldogs in the seventh round of the NFL draft on Saturday. Safety Dan Jackson was drafted 230th overall while wide receiver Dominic Lovett was the 244th pick.

It was a Georgia kind of draft with guard Tate Ratledge selected in the second round.

Jackson, a walk-on at Georgia, finished with a strong senior season starting opposite Malaki Starks, a first-round pick to the Ravens.

The 6-2, 195-pound safety earned third team All-SEC honors  after recording 64 tackles, three pass break-ups, 1.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and one  blocked field goal. He notched one forced fumble which was huge for the Bulldogs, as it came late in the fourth quarter against Georgia Tech and opened the door for the Bulldogs to beat the Yellow Jackets in eight overtimes.

He’s expected to be able to contribute on special teams. 

“I’m willing to play anywhere, that’s how I got started in Georgia,’’ Jackson said.

He also said that Georgia shaped him into the player he is today. 

In CBS Sports draft profile they wrote: “Dan Jackson is a smart football player and good leader. He is fearless playing downhill in run support, but sometimes runs too hot, which leads to missed tackles in space. Jackson has a high football IQ and good eyes to recognize what is happening in front of him, but lacks the ideal athleticism to recover when he makes a mistake and must do a better job breaking down in space.’’

Lovett, who played two seasons at Georgia after two years at Missouri, led the Bulldogs in receptions with 59 and receiving touchdowns with six in 2024. 

Lovett said he’s looking forward to being in the same wide receiver group with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.

“I feel I can learn so much how he plays the game,’’ Lovett said of St. Brown.

Lovett said he’s been a big fan of Jameson Williams since both lived and played near St. Louis in high school.

GM Brad Holmes said he’s been a fan of Lovett’s for a long time and said he’s a really good special teams player. 

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote: “His hands will both dazzle and frustrate. He’s capable and experienced as a gunner and can compete for reps on special teams until he finds his footing as a WR3.’’

Earlier on Saturday, the Lions drafted guard Miles Frazier in the fifth round and EDGE rusher Ahmed Hassanein in the sixth round.

Lions move up to draft WR Isaac TeSlaa in the third round

TeSlaa grew up in western Michigan as a Lions fan

ALLEN PARK — The Lions traded up 32 spots in the third round Friday night to draft wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa, who grew up in Hudsonville as a Lions fan.

In fact, he showed up at his pre-draft visit to the Lions wearing a Lions No. 10  Lions jersey with his own name across the back. This was a head-scratcher for GM Brad Holmes until he heard TeSlaa’s explanation that he had it since eighth grade and couldn’t imagine a better time to wear it. 

Of course, that is not why he was drafted at 70th overall.

“Saw him at the Senior Bowl and hadn’t watched his film yet. Just saw how he was in the team periods, his blocking, his size, he was just being a pest, he was pissing off the DB defenders,’’ Holmes said. “Obviously it made me want to completely watch the tape. You see a guy who’s a big, long, smooth strider, can accelerate, can run, he’s a hands catcher. Can play special teams and block, he can do a lot of things.’’

TeSlaa spent three seasons at Division II Hillsdale College before transferring to Arkansas in 2023. He’s a big receiver (6-4, 214 pounds)  who averaged 19.5 yards per catch in 2024 and ran a 4.3 in the 40 at the Combine where he opened more than a few eyes.

The Lions have a solid wide receiver group that includes Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, but TeSlaa will add youth and another target for new offensive coordinator John Morton. 

TeSlaa played mostly at slot in 2024 but Holmes said he has the tools to play outside.

“Obviously it’s been not only a dream to play in the NFL but to play for my hometown team, the team I’ve been rooting for since I was a baby,’’ TeSlaa said on a conference call. “So it’s an incredible feeling I’m ready to get to work, get to the facility and put the work in.’’

Holmes said that TeSlaa and right guard Tate Ratledge, who was drafted in the second round, were identified early in the process.

Lions trade up, add to O-line by drafting Tate Ratledge in 2nd round

ALLEN PARK — About a year ago, Tate Ratledge had a massive lion tattooed on his right forearm. 

“The lions are the king of the jungle for a reason—  just their mentality, their attitude and how they go about their life,’’ said Ratledge who compared that to his approach to living.

The tatt took on new meaning when he was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round (57th overall) on Friday night. GM Brad Holmes traded up two picks to grab the right guard who played at Georgia.

“It was out of nowhere, I could even process what was going on when I got the call. This means the world to me, it means the world to my family, every sacrifice they’ve made to help me get here,’’ Ratledge said on a conference call shortly after the pick. 

“I couldn’t ask for a better team, a better situation, to go to,’’ Ratledge added. “I’ve always been a fan of coach Campbell and the way he runs this program, what he has to say, how he runs the team, the O-line  … I feel it’s a great fit.’’

Ratledge, who turns 24 on Saturday, started 36 games at right guard in the last three seasons allowing just two sacks. At this year’s NFL Combine he finished first in athleticism. 

The Lions have an opening at right guard after Kevin Zeitler left in free agency.

Last season Ratledge was voted third-team Associated Press All-American and  first-team All-SEC. He played in 10 games with nine starts at right guard. He also takes pride in being a “dirt bag” type of player on the field.

ESPN’s Matt Miller’s post-draft analysis included: “If you asked before the draft what an ideal pick would be for Detroit in Round 2, this would have been the answer. Ratledge is an easy-moving right guard with big-time power on the point of impact in the run game. He also has the recovery agility to hold up in pass protection.’ … Ratledge will certainly see the field as a rookie with his impressive toughness and experience.’’

Ratledge also would compete for the best mullett on any football team. He said it started as a joke during COVID when his dad cut it in the front yard. He’s just stayed with it.