When the Detroit Lions set out to upgrade their cornerback unit this past offseason, they didn’t just swing a trade or sign a free agent. They did both of those and then also drafted two corners.
Depending on the circumstances, teams may rely on second-round picks pretty heavily during their rookie year. However, Ennis Rakestraw Jr. won’t have to be a huge contributor because of all of those other additions.
Still, the Lions are obviously high on the 2024 second-rounder and will likely play him a good amount, but they won’t have to thrust him right into the starting lineup like many high picks are. That being said, if he’s able to learn the defense and understand it well, he may find the field quickly.
Rakestraw, 22, spent four years at Missouri and was limited to nine games last season due to a groin injury but posted back-to-back strong seasons.
Pro Football Focus gave him an 80.7 overall grade in 2023, the 37th-best mark among all FBS corners, plus a 78.7 coverage grade (60th), an 89.0 run defense grade (9th) and a 79.7 tackling grade (56th).
He mostly played outside, shifting to the slot on just 22% of his plays last season, and didn’t get a lot of balls thrown his way.
Again, he was limited to just nine games but he allowed only 18 catches on 28 targets, a 64.3% reception rate that was tied for just the 87th-highest among corners who played at least 300 snaps. His 10.9 yards per catch allowed was 108th-lowest and his 96.9 passer rating allowed was well outside the top-100 highest.
While Rakestraw didn’t make many plays on the ball — he had just one interception in his four seasons in college and recorded only two pass breakups last season — he also only allowed one touchdown and four total over his final three seasons.
He’s not overly athletic — his 4.79 relative athletic score (out of 10) at the NFL Combine ranked 1,159 out of 2,222 corners from 1987 to 2024 — which likely hurt him in the draft despite his production, and he’s not been great in man coverage. In zone, however, he’s been fantastic.
In 2023, PFF gave Rakestraw the 10th-highest zone coverage grade in the FBS, two spots higher than Detroit’s first-rounder, Terrion Arnold. Rakestraw was also in the top-20 in zone coverage in 2022, so he has a solid track record.
That ability should also allow him to thrive with the Lions, especially early in his career, as most man coverage assignments can be handled by Carlton Davis III, Brian Branch, Amir Robertson and even Arnold.
While the Lions’ first-rounder may have the better long-term upside and a better chance to become a lockdown corner, Rakestraw has already shown he has the ability make an impact as a rookie.
He’s been limited recently in the preseason due to injury but excelled in his lone game, the first preseason game against the New York Giants, earning the third-best overall grade among Lions defenders.
The draft is typically more about long-term gains than immediate impact, especially beyond the first-round. But at a position of need, the Lions may have gotten a guy in Rakestraw who can fit right in in year one.
Detroit Lions cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (15) and cornerback Amik Robertson (21) practice during OTAs at Detroit Lions headquarters and training facility in Allen Park on Thursday, May 30, 2024.
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