National Football League

Detroit's Manny Ramirez working ahead of Laken Tomlinson as Lions' top LG

Published May. 28, 2015 2:03 p.m. ET

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The Detroit Lions made a first-round investment in their offensive line by selecting former Duke standout Laken Tomlinson with the 28th-overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, yet the return on that investment has not been immediate.

Instead of Tomlinson, Manny Ramirez is taking first-team reps at left guard for the Lions at OTAs, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Tomlinson, on the other hand, has been relegated to second-team reps. The acquisitions of both Ramirez and Tomlinson were the result of a draft-day trade with the Denver Broncos.

Ramirez last played with the Broncos, but he began his NFL career with the Lions as a fourth-round pick back in 2007. Lions head coach Jim Caldwell spoke of him as a potential leader of the offensive line.

"He's a guy that's certainly going to add some girth and power and experience in the (interior)," Caldwell told MLive.com. "But also, you can just tell from a leadership standpoint, I mean, he's tremendous. Real solid guy, just a person that's well-rounded, has a good sense of what being a real pro is."

Tomlinson isn't concerned just yet about being a second-teamer. There's still a lot of time for him to develop into a quality starter.

"I can't worry about that," Tomlinson said about Ramirez swiping his reps, according to MLive.com. "I can only worry about myself, and what I can control. And that's the work I put in, and do what they ask me to do at the highest level I can."

(h/t MLive.com)

Photo Credit: Ron Chenoy/Contract Photographer