Ragnow is a mean and nasty mutha. From Minnesota too. Hell, even his name sounds Nordic. He could be the pick at 30. Then we have three interchangeable interior linemen....his profile suggests he may not be the most athletic center, but his fundamentals and attitude are off the charts. However, if you look at his pro day...those are some pretty terrific numbers: 4.98, great jump numbers, 27 reps.
FAYETTEVILLE – Five months after suffering a season-ending ankle injury,
Frank Ragnow finally got a chance to show off his talents in front of NFL scouts Monday morning inside Walker Pavilion.
The All-SEC center was among 13 players who worked out in front of representatives from all 32 NFL teams at Arkansas’ annual Pro Day.
“I had quite a bit of butterflies last night,” Ragnow said. “But I got back on the home turf and felt like myself again, so I wasn’t too nervous once we got going.”
While many former collegiate standouts head to warm destinations to train for the NFL Draft, Ragnow went home to Victoria, Minn., so he could be with his mother. He spent the last several months rehabbing and said he has been “100 percent” for about four weeks.
Instead of jumping right into things at the NFL Scouting Combine, which was Feb. 27-March 5, Ragnow waited for Arkansas’ Pro Day to do the pre-draft drills.
“Not many people go up to Minnesota to train; everybody goes to Arizona or California or whatnot,” Ragnow said. “I’ve kind of been alone in the snow training, so it’s good to show off a little bit and not be by myself.”
Ragnow set personal bests in the vertical jump (33.5 inches) and broad jump (9 feet, 7 inches), which would have ranked second among offensive linemen at the combine. His 40-yard dash time of 4.98 would have been fifth, while his 27 bench press reps would have tied for eighth.
The only number he was disappointed in was his bench press because he had been doing much better than that during his training.
“I’ve done 36, so I kind of choked there,” Ragnow said. “I stopped breathing. I forgot how to breathe, so not good technique.”
The biggest thing for Ragnow was just proving to NFL teams that his ankle was healed. Pro Football Focus rated him as the top offensive lineman in the country the last two years, so he believes he has done enough to hear his named called at the NFL Draft, which begins April 26 in Arlington, Texas.
“The tape doesn’t lie and I think a lot of (teams) know that,” Ragnow said. “A lot of them just wanted to see my ankle. I’m pretty confident with my abilities on the board, IQ wise with football, so getting to show off how I feel like I am post-surgery, I think that was good for them to see.”
Monday also gave Ragnow another chance to talk to NFL teams, something he also did at the Senior Bowl and combine even though he wasn’t able to play or do drills.
Ragnow said he had 23 official interviews and got to meet people like 49ers general manager John Lynch, Seahawks head coach
Pete Carroll and Vikings head coach
Mike Zimmer.
Those teams have talked to him about playing center and guard, but Ragnow also said he believes he could play tackle if needed.
“I think that really helps me,” Ragnow said. “You can only carry eight and if you show you can play all three or all five spots, it really helps you get on the field.”
When the draft rolls around next month, Ragnow will watch it on television in Minnesota. One person who will be noticeably absent is his father, who passed away during the 2016 season.
“I’ll be at my mom’s house with my family and the people who got me here,” Ragnow said. “It’ll be bittersweet with my dad not being there, but it’ll be a pretty special moment to be with my family.”
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