Colby Sorsdal's Make-or-Break Move: Can a Switch to Center Save His Lions Career?

Colby Sorsdal: The Sleeper Lineman Trying to Carve Out a Role in Detroit

The NFL is brutal for fringe players. For every superstar grabbing headlines, there are dozens of guys quietly grinding behind the scenes, trying to earn just a sliver of opportunity. One of those guys? Colby Sorsdal, the third-year offensive lineman for the Detroit Lions, who’s quietly battling for relevance — and possibly redemption — in an evolving Lions O-line room.

Let’s rewind to where it all started.

Sorsdal entered the NFL in 2023 as a fifth-round pick out of William & Mary, where he was a dominant force at right tackle in the FCS ranks. He started for five years — yeah, five — and rarely got pushed around in college. But that smooth sailing didn’t exactly translate to the pros. Detroit immediately shifted him to guard, mainly because of his frame. At 6-foot-6 with relatively short arms (33 inches), Sorsdal didn't have the ideal reach to fend off elite edge rushers on the outside. That move inside? It didn’t click right away.

Early in his rookie year, Sorsdal was tossed into an emergency right tackle role, but the results were forgettable. He struggled with the raw speed and power of interior defensive linemen at the NFL level — a rude awakening for someone used to dominating at William & Mary. From there, he bounced back and forth between left and right guard, but never found a groove.

📌 Fast forward to 2024, and the Lions took a gamble by moving him back to tackle, hoping he could serve as a backup to star right tackle Penei Sewell. But that never materialized into meaningful game action. Sorsdal was only active for one game all season, logging a handful of snaps on special teams — not exactly the breakout year he needed.

Now in his third season, with time running thin, Sorsdal’s latest opportunity may come at an unexpected spot: center.

Yes, you read that right. From tackle to guard and now to center — it’s a football journey filled with twists. And that’s what makes this moment interesting for him.

Here’s why this position switch might actually work in his favor.

👉 First, the Lions are dealing with a bit of a hole at center. Frank Ragnow, the long-time rock in the middle, announced his retirement this offseason, opening up a competition for the starting gig. Detroit drafted Tate Ratledge, a second-rounder out of Georgia, who’s penciled in as the likely heir apparent. But OTAs showed that the battle is far from over.

During open sessions with the media, Sorsdal was spotted taking a large chunk of snaps at center — not just for fun, but in actual rotation behind Ratledge and second-year player Kingsley Eguakun, who’s also been lining up at right guard. That’s not nothing. Coaches don’t hand those reps out randomly.

🚨 And if there's one thing that offensive line coach Hank Fraley values, it's versatility.

Sorsdal’s experience across every O-line position under Fraley’s teaching gives him a valuable edge — even if he hasn’t dominated at any one spot. Fraley has a rep as one of the league’s top line developers, and when he invests time in a player, it usually means the team sees potential. You can’t ignore that.

But let’s keep it real: the odds are still stacked against him.

At guard, Sorsdal is clearly not in the thick of the competition. That battle is looking more like a Royal Rumble between Glasgow, Eguakun, Trystan Colon, Netane Muti, Kayode Awosika, and fifth-round rookie Miles Frazier. It's hard to see Sorsdal leapfrogging that crowd.

At tackle, he’s buried. Dan Skipper, the long-time vet and locker room voice, has the backup right tackle spot nearly locked down. Then there’s Giovanni Manu, a physical beast Detroit traded up for in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. Despite Manu being in a redshirt developmental year, his upside is enormous. Add Jamarco Jones, a former starter in the league, to the mix, and Sorsdal becomes an afterthought in that tackle depth chart.

👀 Which brings us back to center — the only realistic opening for Sorsdal to make the 53-man roster.

This isn’t just a desperation move, though. There are a couple of traits working in his favor.

💪 Powerful base and functional strength: While Sorsdal’s short arms hurt him on the edge, they actually aren’t a huge problem inside — especially at center. In training camp and preseason action, he’s flashed the ability to anchor and seal defenders, creating clear lanes in the run game. That kind of lower-body drive is exactly what Detroit wants up front.

📚 Coachability and adaptability: In a league that thrives on specialization, being a "jack-of-all-trades" type lineman isn’t a bad thing — especially for depth roles. Sorsdal has been absorbing every technique Coach Fraley throws at him. From adjusting footwork to refining hand placement, he’s shown progress at each new position.

🔥 And there’s a wild card here: if Detroit doesn’t keep him, other teams might come calling. A guy with experience at all five OL positions, two years of NFL practice reps, and the potential to develop as a backup center? That’s worth a flyer for a team with shaky line depth. Don’t be surprised if a conditional late-round 2027 pick ends up being Sorsdal’s ticket to a new home.

The reality is this: Sorsdal is fighting for more than just a roster spot — he’s battling for his career.

NFL teams love position flexibility, especially from backups. If he can prove himself reliable as a reserve center, while still being able to fill in at guard or even tackle in a pinch, he becomes more than just a "maybe." He becomes a necessity.

He’s never going to be a starter over Penei Sewell or a key anchor like Frank Ragnow once was. But in the world of NFL trenches, sometimes carving out a reliable depth role is all you need to stick around.

💬 As one AFC scout noted quietly at the Senior Bowl last year, “He’s raw, but smart. Give him two years and a real coaching staff, and you might have something.”

Well, here we are in year three. That clock is ticking.

And for Colby Sorsdal, center might just be his final — and best — shot to stay in Detroit.

✅ Quick Takeaways:

• Sorsdal’s third position switch may be his saving grace.

• Center depth is wide open following Ragnow's retirement.

• His versatility and coachability stand out in a crowded Lions O-line room.

• Might not crack Detroit’s final roster — but don’t count him out for a spot elsewhere.