Colby Sorsdal enters his third season in Detroit as a player in search of a role with the Lions. It’s an awkward situation for Sorsdal, a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of William & Mary.
A starting right tackle for the Tribe for five years at the FCS level, Sorsdal began his time in Detroit by moving inside to guard. His oddly short arms (33 inches on a 6-foot-6 frame) necessitated the move inside, but it didn’t really take quickly. Sorsdal bounced between left and right guard after an unimpressive emergency appearance at right tackle early in his rookie campaign. The NFL speed of the NFL strength on the defensive interior was an obvious problem for Sorsdal.
Detroit moved him back to tackle for 2024, but he never played on offense as Penei Sewell’s backup at right tackle. Sorsdal was only active for one game, playing limited snaps on special teams at Minnesota.
After spinning his wheels in the first two years, Sorsdal’s best option to drive onto the 53-man roster could very well be at a new position: center. Following Frank Ragnow’s retirement, Sorsdal took most of his snaps during the OTAs open to the media as a reserve center behind second-round rookie Tate Ratledge and second-year player Kingsley Eguakun, who also played a lot of right guard in the spring sessions.
The uncertainty at center is an opportunity for Sorsdal. Potentially. Either Ratledge or veteran Graham Glasgow, who sat out the voluntary OTAs, will be the starting center — barring an unforeseen flying pig in Allen Park. The other will be the presumptive starting right guard, though Eguakun, Kayode Awosika, Netane Muti and maybe even fifth-round rookie Miles Frazier will have something to say about that.
Sorsdal isn’t really in that mix at guard. At tackle, he’s clearly behind grizzled vet and team leader Dan Skipper. He’s probably behind 2024 fourth-rounder (which the Lions traded a 2025 third-rounder to acquire) Giovanni Manu as well, though Manu’s progress from his necessary redshirt rookie season remains to be seen. Former NFL starter Jamarco Jones is also in the reserve tackle mix, and it would certainly make sense if the Lions trusted Jones’ pelts on the wall over Sorsdal in a reserve capacity. The short arms and comparative lack of foot quickness are not going to help Sorsdal in that tackle battle.
Center of attention
That leaves center for Sorsdal. He’ll have to earn his way up the depth chart, but Sorsdal does have a couple of things working in his favor. First is his powerful length, a trait Ragnow used quite effectively in the run game in Detroit. Sorsdal’s brightest moments in Lions camp and preseason have come when he’s asked to drive the defender across from him and then seal open the hole for a runner to exploit.
Secondly, Sorsdal’s coachability and positional versatility can be a ticket to sticking. Having a lineman who has cross-trained at every OL spot under the tutelage of coach Hank Fraley–one of the best teachers in the business–is a feather in Sorsdal’s hat that no one else can sport. And if it’s not going to be in Detroit, there could very well be some interest from another team in flipping a conditional late-round pick in 2027 to take a chance on Sorsdal’s lingering upside and versatility.