He Could Ride In On A Harley

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.”

Ragnow Rocks !

( Sorry if that’s a Thor subject )

Nah, have him ride an Indian, not a Harley...Indians are made in Minnesota, Harleys are made in that cheesy land to the East.

I believe it's politically incorrect to ride on an Indian?

Wait, I could be wrong...

I like Ragnow but every time a Minnesotan (born or Gopher) is a high draft prospect, we hope he might end up a Viking but there seems to be no extra attraction by the team. Maxx Williams, Rashede Hageman, Eric Decker...go back to Larry Fitzgerald, Chip Lohmiller, anyone. Vikings have never picked a Minnesotan very high. Still mad about Bobby Bell???

Ragnow was PFF's top rated center as both a junior and a senior. He also has never allowed a sack in his 4-year career at Ark. He's getting a lot of 1st round buzz right now and if I had to make a prediction for the Vikings right now it would be Rags. 
The Minnesota native and former standout at the University of Arkansas said he wouldn’t mind ending up with his hometown team. “It would be pretty cool,” Ragnow said Thursday afternoon at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine. “I’d probably live with my mom for a while, and it would be awesome. “I’m a Minnesota boy, and I take a lot of pride in that state,” Ragnow added. “I grew up cheering for them, so it would be a pretty surreal moment.”

Frank Ragnow - C - PlayerCBS Sports' Jason La Canfora "continues to hear" Arkansas OL Frank Ragnow is the top center in the draft.
Ragnow (6'5/309) is a late riser after sitting out the Combine. It's hard to see him drafted ahead of Ohio State's Billy Price, but Ragnow, Price, and Iowa's James Daniels could all be first-round picks. The Bengals, Patriots, and Vikings have been linked to Ragnow.Source: CBS Sports

With all these G/C guys that sound like first rounders I have a hard time not thinking a good one will still be available at the end of the 2nd.   If not that far down at least in the early to mid 2nd and we add a 3rd or 4th rounder to our picks.

@"JimmyinSD" said: With all these G/C guys that sound like first rounders I have a hard time not thinking a good one will still be available at the end of the 2nd.   If not that far down at least in the early to mid 2nd and we add a 3rd or 4th rounder to our picks.

It happens every year...  a number of good interior OL (C or G) get talked up as potential first round picks.  And then the actual draft happens and most of these guys are available in the 2nd or 3rd round.  Cody Whitehair went late 2nd, Pat Elflein went in the early 3rd, Ethan Pocic went in the late 2nd, etc. for some recent examples.

Nelson will go within the first 15 picks for sure.  Dude is a stud.  Wynn or Hernandez might go late first round, but Price, Ragnow, and Daniels won't go until Day 2 IMO.

I'm looking for my fellow poster's thoughts on this...

I really don't want to mess with Elflein at Center.  He looks like a fixture there for us.  

I also thought Remmers played above average at RT for most of the year and our line suffered after having to move him late last year into the interior at Guard because of Easton/Elflein injuries.  Hill was the worst Tackle in the playoffs giving up the most pressures according to PFF.

I want to keep both Elflein and Remmers where they both performed well and IMO were both getting better as the season went on.  

So my questions?

Ragnow and Price are Centers.  Is that an easy transition from playing Center in college to playing Guard?  I really don't know how common it is to draft Centers to play Guard just like I don't know how common it is to play right or left guard in college and then switch in the Pro's to the other side.  Obviously it is not a transition to make from LT to RT it is deemed a demotion for the most part if you are drafted at LT and end up RT.

That is why I want us to draft a true Guard.  From all reports (and our Guru) Wynn is a perfect fit for our ZBS at Guard although he played LT most of his career but he is only 6'3 and not long arms so not a tackle draft pick?  I have bought into the Wynn hype and think he is my #1 target for us to draft and I would consider a move up for him....again even though his experience is mostly at Tackle.

The "true" guard I like the most is Hernandez.  Guy just pushes people around and plays mean and nasty.  But reports on him are that he is best at a man blocking scheme.

Bottom line for me is that - Wynn seems like the perfect fit for our needs with his versatility and feet for a ZBS.  Hernandez seems like an old school stud mano-on-mano Guard that I would not mind at all even if not the perfect fit.  Price, Ragnow are centers and unknown to me in terms of Guard play...how easy is that transition? 

@"minny65" said: I'm looking for my fellow poster's thoughts on this...

Bottom line for me is that - Wynn seems like the perfect fit for our needs with his versatility and feet for a ZBS.  Hernandez seems like an old school stud mano-on-mano Guard that I would not mind at all even if not the perfect fit.  Price, Ragnow are centers and unknown to me in terms of Guard play...how easy is that transition? 

Price was a starting Guard for 3 years at OSU, experience at both LG and RG, and only moved to Center as a senior to replace Elflein. Ragnow started at RG his sophomore year (2015) and one game as a junior, then moved to C. So projecting these guys to G is not unknown by any means.

Most people seem to love Price more, but I have some concern about his shorter arms, which might limit him at OG. Between the two, I would take Ragnow.

@"Jor-El" said:

@"minny65" said: I'm looking for my fellow poster's thoughts on this...

Bottom line for me is that - Wynn seems like the perfect fit for our needs with his versatility and feet for a ZBS.  Hernandez seems like an old school stud mano-on-mano Guard that I would not mind at all even if not the perfect fit.  Price, Ragnow are centers and unknown to me in terms of Guard play...how easy is that transition? 

Price was a starting Guard for 3 years at OSU, experience at both LG and RG, and only moved to Center as a senior to replace Elflein. Ragnow started at RG his sophomore year (2015) and one game as a junior, then moved to C. So projecting these guys to G is not unknown by any means.

Most people seem to love Price more, but I have some concern about his shorter arms, which might limit him at OG. Between the two, I would take Ragnow.

I've been reading up.on Bengals insiders as I'm about 99.9% certain they're going O-Line. Ragnow is getting talked up a bunch. Rumor has it their FO likes him over Daniels and Price and would take him as high as #21 if McGlinchey isn't there.