Notes: Frank Ragnow named most underrated Detroit Lions player

Maybe it’s not the flashiest position, but one Sports Illustrated analyst argues the Detroit Lions center may be the most underrated player on the team.

SI’s Conor Orr picked one player from each NFC team that he thinks plays a big role in determining the team’s fate, but might not get recognized as much as some of the other guys. Orr points to Ragnow’s versatility, explaining:

“Ragnow is underrated because he can star at multiple positions. The Lions ran up the middle behind center more than only three other teams in the NFL last year.”

Perhaps - but it was his move from guard to center that led to a more productive season. Ragnow earned a 64.4 grade from Pro Football Focus in 2018, then switched positions and jumped to a 74.9 grade the following year — earning him the title of Detroit’s most improved player of 2019.

I mean at one point, despite being looooong out of playoff contention:

Either way, Ragnow’s classification as underrated is justified, in my opinion.

As for the rest of the NFC North, if you’re curious:

• Green Bay Packers - Jamaal Williams, RB
• Minnesota Vikings - Kyle Rudolph, TE
• Chicago Bears - Sherrick McManis, ST/DB

Read the rest of the piece here.

While we’re talking Ragnow, Jeremy lists him as one of the Lions’ top 10 salary cap bargains this season. “Ragnow may not have league-wide notoriety yet, but the third-year player looks he may quickly live up to his first-round billing.” Read that here.

And onto the rest of your notes.

• Another from PFF, but it’s premium content so a subscription is required: why betting the over on Kenny Golladay is the move to make.
• NFL.com ranked teams on having the most homegrown talent, or how they’ve retained their former draft picks on their current rosters. I did the watching for you - the Lions came in around 2 1/2 minutes in, ranked 18th with 22 players.
• Just this:

• Mlive’s Benjamin Raven takes a look at the top 10 receiving yards leaders in Lions history.
• It’s rivalry week at SB Nation, and here’s a piece from our friends over at the Acme Packing Company: “Packers hold significant historical advantage over division rival Detroit Lions”.
• Speaking of rivalries, check out this conversation over at PFF:

• A where-are-they-now on Johnnie Morton from detroitlions.com columnist Mike O’Hara.
• A feel-good memory: