Cade Mays Down! Options at Center
The Lions have a plethora of options at center following Mays injury
Information sourced from: Pro Football Reference, College Football Reference, NFL Draft Buzz, Dan Campbell Press Conference
When it rains, it pours, many Lions fans know this. Coach Campbell noted at his press conference today that Cade Mays was now out with a “significant” hand injury, and the Lions would have to turn to another Center. The Lions do have multiple options, so let’s briefly break them down.
Seth McLaughlin
In my opinion, Seth McLaughlin is the best option the Lions have to turn to. McLaughlin spent 3 years at Alabama, and 1 year at Ohio State, bringing home a national title in that year. He also was a Consensus All American coming out of college. At the end of the day he played in 47 games in college amongst two of the top programs in the NFL. McLaughlin suffered an achilles injury coming out of college which led him to be undrafted when he was ranked decently by draft analysts (per NFL draft buzz, ranked 122, or a 4th round pick) . He joined The Bengals out of college and failed to catch on, joining the Lions in January 2026. What McLaughlin lacks in experience he makes up for in upside.
Juice Scruggs
Juice Scruggs has played in 37 NFL games, starting in 20. The Lions have repeatedly stated that they see him as a center even though he has played in both guard positions as well. His PFF grades are placed against guard numbers instead of center numbers, and thus I am not going to include them but you can find them here (PFF). Juice is the safer option, and the Lions have mentioned that they don’t just see him as a center, but that they think he plays better there. He is currently down with a short term soft tissue injury, but should be back soon and may jump Seth McLaughlin depending on McLaughlin’s performance in the preseason game against the Bengals, and in practice.
Michael Niese and Tate Ratledge
Coach Campbell stated that Michael Niese would get some practice time at center. Michael Niese has appeared in 26 games for the Lions, but never made a start. Even during times the Lions have struggled with injuries, he’s always been in the back of the line. He is my least favorite possibility at center, as it just seems like it’s not there. Perhaps he will prove me wrong, but I doubt it.
When Frank Ragnow suddenly retired, the initial thought was to try Ratledge at center. From my understanding it was not well received and Graham Glasgow slid in at the position. I doubt they will get to the point of Ratledge starting at Center, but I can get them wanting to be prepared. A notable item is that Campbell stated that he wanted to get Ratledge some individual snaps, not team work at Center. My opinion is they are simply making contingencies for contingencies.
At the end of the day we can only wait and see, but you can expect to see Niese and McLaughlin in the upcoming preseason game. Live snaps will help to make this decision much easier for the Lions.