Detroit Lions NFL draft pick Ennis Rakestraw is the definition of a late bloomer
Editor's note: The Detroit Lions drafted Ennis Rakestraw Jr., a cornerback from Missouri, in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft. This story was originally published in February.
Let's get to know the newest Lion:
Rakestraw's playing experience
Rakestraw, a native of Duncanville, Texas, west of Dallas, was a three-star recruit in the 2020 class after he helped lead his high school to back-to-back state finals appearances in Texas' conference for the biggest high schools in the state, 6A, and being named 2019 Defensive Player of the Year by the Dallas Morning News. According to his awards article, Rakestraw held zero Power Five offers before his senior season and was told he was too small to attend recruiting camps with his teammates. He put himself on the map as a senior, limiting top receiving recruits such as Rakim Jarrett (No. 2 WR in 2020) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (No. 5 WR) to under 40 yards in their matchups as Duncanville reached the state championship.
CARLOS MONARREZ: Lions' double down at cornerback with Missouri's Ennis Rakestraw Jr. a great move
His improvement as well as adding weight increased his offer sheet from Power Five schools, including Alabama and Texas, but he ended up enrolling at Missouri and helped change the direction of the program. In the COVID-altered 2020 college football season, Rakestraw started right away for the Tigers as a true freshman and became the first freshman Missouri defensive player to start a season opener since 2017. He appeared in all 10 games that season, posting 24 tackles, one sack, and a team-high six passes broken up.
He was unable to follow up on that production as a sophomore in 2021 after he tore his ACL in October and ended up exercising his redshirt. He appeared in four games before the injury, finishing with two passes defended and 13 tackles. He returned to his full-time starter role as a redshirt sophomore, appearing in all 13 games in 2022. He recorded the only interception of his college career that season against Abilene Christian, and finished with 35 tackles, 4½ tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
His redshirt junior season was cut short by injury once again. He appeared in nine games, making eight starts, but missed games throughout the season due to injury. He missed the season finale against Arkansas and the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State and sat out of the Senior Bowl to fully heal his body. He was invited to participate in the NFL Combine Feb. 26-March 4.
Rakestraw highlights
His lack of turnover production could be alarming at first glance, especially considering that Dan Campbell consistently preaches that he wants his defense to be playmakers and for the team to have a positive turnover margin, but when you watch highlights, it is easier to understand why he has a first-round grade. Rakestraw is a fierce hitter who had no problem sticking his nose in to stop the run, and also showed an ability to find himself consistently in a receiver's back pocket to break up a pass.
THEY SAID IT: Lions drafting Ennis Rakestraw Jr. a 'great Dan Campbell pick'
Why a cornerback?
The answer to this one is very simple: The Lions' pass defense was bad once again. Despite improving marginally from the third-to-last pass defense in 2022, the team still finished 27th in passing yards allowed (247.4 passing yards allowed per game) in 2023. The Lions' offense was still able to outpace other teams, and the Lions had a stingy run and red zone defense to help compensate, but they were still getting torched too often for most fans' liking.
Down the stretch of the season, the Lions gave up over 300 passing yards in the final three weeks of the regular season and the first two rounds of the playoffs. Against the 49ers, Detroit gave up 258 passing yards, but that included back-breaking plays like a ball bouncing off Kindle Vildor's face into Brandon Aiyuk's hands, turning a seemingly guaranteed turnover into a touchdown during the comeback.
Another reason is that the Lions will need depth in the secondary. Before free agency begins, the Lions have four corners slated to become free agents — Emmanuel Moseley, Vildor, Khalil Dorsey (exclusive rights) and Jerry Jacobs (restricted). Those potential departures paired with the struggles make cornerback an obvious need for a team trying to reach the Super Bowl next year.
As Birkett put it in his mock: "Cornerback is a huge position of need for the Lions, and while they’ll address it on some level in free agency, they need a long-term solution on the outside. Rakestraw doesn’t have huge ball production with one interception in four years, but he’s the type of feisty, physical corner the Lions want on defense."
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions NFL draft pick Ennis Rakestraw: Epitome of late bloomer
