Each week this offseason, we’ll be focusing on one position and how the Panthers may choose to address their needs; whether they’re in the market for an upgrade at starter or just a reliable backup, every player on the 53-man roster is going to be important in 2018.
This is Offensive Line Week.
With Ryan Kalil due to retire after the 2018 season and Tyler Larsen, who may have played admirably but not spectacularly in relief of Kalil last year, appearing to be his current replacement on the roster, the Panthers may well use a draft pick in this year’s draft to select a center to develop behind Kalil with a view to the pick taking over the starting role in 2019. While there is no absolute standout center in this class, should he still be available on the second day of the draft, Frank Ragnow offers an enticing combination of upside and technique which could well land him in the Panthers’ cross-hairs.
Run Game
Centers are rarely asked to drive their man backwards in the run game, with much of their work being done at the second level, but that doesn’t mean that power isn’t a useful skill; while Ragnow isn’t a mauler in the run game, he does have the power to get things done, such as on the following play (for reference, Ragnow is #72):
What helps his effectiveness in this area is how he uses his hands well to get inside the frame and to push through his defender. On the following play, Ragnow is able to cut the defender off from the running lane by getting his hands inside his frame and preventing him from shedding the block.
Where Ragnow does sometimes come undone is in his pad level, which is usually decent but, unsurprisingly for a 6’5 center, can sometimes be a bit high, which can lead to him getting jacked up by his defender. While this will likely continue to be one of the weaker areas of his game, this was also a weakness of Moton going into last season and is clearly something the John Matsko and the rest of the Panthers’ coaching staff believe they work on to some extent with suitable prospects. The Panthers’ front office have made it very clear in previous years that ‘teachability’ is an important factor in the prospects they look to draft, and this will certainly be the case in Ragnow. What does speak well to Ragnow’s intelligence is how he is able to play in space, as can be seen on the following plays:
What is encouraging about these plays is not just how Ragnow is able to locate defenders in space, or how he is able to time his progressions well, but also the way in which he uses his body to create running lanes. Blocking at the second level is often difficult for offensive linemen, as they don’t always know where the running back is; driving their man down the field runs the risk of simply getting in the way of the running back. What Ragnow does instead is uses his body to wall off the running lane and uses the block to seal off the crease.
This is a core concept of zone blocking schemes and Ragnow’s understanding of such concepts bodes well for his intelligence as a player. Of course, Ragnow is not always able to seal the running lanes in this way, but his good hand placement and body control still allows him to be effective, albeit to a lesser extent at times. On the following play, Ragnow tries to cut the defender off as above, but the defender backs off in an attempt to elude the block; what Ragnow does well here is to get his hands inside the frame of the defender which allows him to prevent the defender from getting free:
And again, the defender looks to elude the block but is unable to do so as Ragnow gets good hand placement inside:
This play also shows Ragnow’s tendency to lean at times, something that NFL coaches will have to work on, but it appears to be an issue of self-control as much as anything.
The final way in which Ragnow is able to add to the run game is in his ability as a pulling blocker, something that is very relevant to Panthers’ offenses in recent years. On both of the following plays, Ragnow demonstrates both the athleticism to get out in space ahead of the running back and the body control and intelligence to locate and eliminate defenders.
Ragnow isn’t perfect as a run blocker, but many of the issues appear to be relatively minor and potentially fixable. What’s more, his combination of hand speed, athleticism in space and power is rare in a center prospect and perfectly suits the Panthers’ need for a developmental player.
Pass Protection
A core skill in pass protection is the lateral agility to stay in front of the blocker’s defender; on the following play, Ragnow is able to follow his defender around the edge of the rollout box:
What Ragnow also does well in pass protection, as he did in the run game, is to use his hands well to secure blocks. This combination of hand speed, placement and strength allows him to get inside placement on the defender and to maintain it, such as on the following plays:
Ragnow also shows an intelligence in pass protection; on the following play, he is not content with merely securing a block but, while helping the guard on the double team, continues to look around in case he is able to help off the tackle. This awareness is encouraging as one of the major changes between college and NFL protection schemes is the increased complexity and the understanding and awareness required of players involved in these protections.
As with the running game, Ragnow really excels in space; his ability to make plays on screens and the like would be useful for a Panthers’ team that will likely want to continue to use running backs extensively in this way. On both of the following plays, Ragnow shows the athleticism to get out in space and make effective blocks on second level defenders.
Ragnow is probably a better run blocker than he is a pass protector, but his core skills and athleticism in this regard are good and given a year to develop behind an established starter, he could develop into a good starting center in the NFL in the near future.
Best Case NFL Comparison: Alex Mack
Worst Case NFL Comparison: Ethan Pocic
One Word Summary To Tell Your Friends: “A highly athletic center prospect with solid technique but who could improve his pad level in order to develop into a top center in the NFL”
Grade: B+
