Dan Campbell discusses progress of rookie OL Tate Ratledge at center

With the retirement of star center Frank Ragnow, the Lions were left trying to figure out how they would fill the void left behind. As it stands, entering camp, a second-round rookie --who had never played a game at the position-- is in the mix to take the job in Week 1.

Georgia interior offensive lineman Tate Ratledge, who focused on guard while in college, has been getting plenty of reps at center. Ratledge was getting work during OTAs and minicamp and is continuing to do so with training camp underway.

Head coach Dan Campbell talked about Ratledge and his potential at center and what the process is looking like during his media session on Tuesday before the Lions' third day of practice.

"You’re getting it all at once," Campbell said. "It’s everything, it is. It’s the mental and it’s the technique of it. So, yeah, look we’re putting a lot on him. He’s drinking out of a fire hose right now. But there are things that we saw with him in college at Georgia that we felt like, ‘You know what? We think this guy can play center.’ We knew it was going to take some time. When that’s something you haven’t done in games, it’s going to take a minute. But he has practiced it and he’s gotten a lot of reps at Georgia playing center against some really good competition out there in the spring and stuff, so. Anyway, so we’re excited. Like I said, we’ll see where it goes. All he’s got to do is keep working. It’s only two days, I like where it’s been versus the spring. It already feels better, it already feels more natural."

Graham Glasgow can also play center if need be, but if Ratledge can quickly get a feel for the position, that would allow Glasgow to stay at one guard position while the Lions figure out the other, likely Christian Mahogany.

This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Dan Campbell likes the progress of Lions rookie Tate Ratledge at C