Tate Ratledge, G Georgia: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Ratledge was a four-star recruit from Darlington School in Rome, Ga. in the class of 2020

The Georgia Bulldogs have become a pipeline for NFL offensive linemen. Right guard Tate Ratledge has a future in the league and projects roughly as a fourth round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Tate Ratledge, G Georgia: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior right guard from Rome, Ga.

Background: Ratledge was a four-star recruit from Darlington School in Rome, Ga. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 38 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 12 for Rivals (five-star), and No. 41 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 74th in the nation with an 84 grade out of 100. Ratledge played offensive tackle, defensive end, and punter in high school. He was a unanimous selection for the 2019 Class A-Private First Team All-State offense for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Georgia Sports Writers Association. Ratledge was selected for the 2020 All-American Bowl. He was a 2019 Sports Illustrated First Team All-American. As a junior, Ratledge was an Atlanta Journal-Constitution 2018 First Team All-State Class A-Private selection and a 2018 USA Today Second Team All-USA Georgia selection. He was selected to represent Team IHOP at The Opening 2019 Finals and was a member of the 2019 Opening Finals Dream Team. Ratledge earned 2017 and 2018 Rome News-Tribune First Team All-Area selections. He also completed in basketball and track and field. Ratledge finished third in shot put at the 2019 Class A-Private State Championships. His father, Dean, played football at Tennessee Tech from 1974-77 before spending a short stint in the NFL, including time with the Cleveland Browns.  

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed 14 games with a Lisfranc injury in 2021, missed some time in 2022 offseason with turf toe, missed 2022 Kentucky game

Awards: N/A

Pros: Barrel-chested bruiser, pad level, low man wins, good knee bend, maintains a wide base, stout anchor, easily anchored vs. Taron Vincent (2022), high motor who always looks for extra work, helps out other linemen and delivers killer rib shots, rarely penalized, generally good at spotting twists, showed off his strength to seal running lanes against Ohio State (2022), creates wide open rushing lanes by sealing defenders, leg drive displaces defenders, generates movement on down blocks, finishes defenders to the ground in the run game, he lives in Tonka Hemingway’s nightmares (2023), South Carolina tape was excellent (2023), took Deone Walker for a ride (2023), creates movement in goal line situations, comfortable working to the second level on combo blocks, overpowers second and third level defenders, solid mover in space to pull or lead block on screens

Cons: Lacks elite physical traits, lacks quantifiably elite power, arm length appears less than ideal, allows easy access to his chest too often, needs more hand counters against long-armed defenders, gives ground when defenders get low and dig into his chest, hands don’t have consistent pop, leaves his feet behind in pass pro which allows defenders to win his outside shoulder, lacks ideal recovery agility, lateral agility gets tested, explosive defenders can cross his face, vulnerable to club moves, reach blocks can be difficult, occasionally ducks his head or lunges in the run game, counter swims defeat him in the run game, doesn’t have the agility to mirror defenders in the open field consistently

Overview: Ratledge is a barrel-chested bruiser who plays with a low pad level and good knee bend. He maintains a wide base and displays a stout anchor in pass protection. Interior linemen like Ohio State’s Taron Vincent (2022) don’t test his anchor. Ratledge plays with a high motor and always looks for extra work. This often results in him helping out other linemen by delivering killer rib shots to defenders while they’re occupied on other blocks. The redshirt junior is good at spotting twists. He is a highly impactful run blocker who left his mark in the playoffs against Ohio State in 2022. Ratledge creates wide open rushing lanes by sealing defenders or displacing them with his leg drive. He generates movement on down blocks and finishes defenders to the ground. South Carolina’s Tonka Hemingway couldn’t make a dent against Ratledge, whose 2023 tape against the Gamecocks was excellent. The Georgia native also took Kentucky’s Deone Walker for a ride earlier this year. Ratledge creates movement in goal line situations. He is comfortable working to the second level on combo blocks and overpowers second and third level defenders. Ratledge struggles to mirror defenders in the open field but has the speed in space to pull or lead block. He occasionally ducks his head or lunges in the run game, leaving him vulnerable to counter swim moves. Ratledge doesn’t execute reach blocks at a high level. He lacks elite physical traits, which puts a ceiling on his profile as a prospect. His power is above-average but not truly elite, and his arm length appears less than ideal. Ratledge allows easy access to his chest too often and needs to build more hand counters to defeat long-armed defenders. The right guard gives ground when defenders get low and dig into his chest. His hands lack consistent pop despite his strong upper body. He leaves his feet behind in pass protection, which allows defenders to win his outside shoulder. Ratledge lacks the agility to recover when he loses an initial step. His lateral agility gets tested by explosive or loose pass rushers. Stiff club moves make him lose his balance.

Overall, Ratledge is an average athlete who doesn’t shine as an elite prospect in any single area, but he’s a well-rounded player with a high floor and the power to help generate chunk plays in the run game. Ratledge’s athletic traits might make him less successful in pass protection in the NFL, but his versatility and effectiveness in the run game carry weight. The Ben Cleveland (No. 94) range is likely his peak. It’s hard to imagine Ratledge going lower than Atonio Mafi (No. 144).  

Role & Scheme Fit: Right guard in a run-heavy power scheme

Round Projection: Mid Fourth to Early Fifth

Size: 6'6", 310 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 10-21-23