Entering Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft, many wondered what the Detroit Lions might do for an encore, after they traded up in Round 1 for a player many believe to be the best cornerback in the class in Alabama’s Terrion Arnold.
Turns out, they got a player they believe to be the second-best cornerback in the class. That’s Missouri’s Ennis Rakestraw Jr., whom the Lions selected with the 61st pick in Friday’s second round.
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‘The Beast’ breakdown
Rakestraw ranked No. 49 in Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
“With his physicality and footwork, Rakestraw is at his best in press man, where he can stay square and smother underneath routes. Though he stays balanced in his transitions, he can lose a stride vertically to speed (his 1.92 “flying 20” time ranked 26th out of 28 cornerbacks who ran the 40-yard dash at the combine). His lack of interception-worthy plays is a concern, too.
“Overall, Rakestraw doesn’t have the desired long speed or build for his position, and his injury history is a concern, but he plays aggressive, sticky coverage with NFL-quality movement skills and confidence. He has NFL starting man-cover talent, if he stays healthy.”
Coaching intel
What an anonymous defensive backs coach had to say about Rakestraw in Bruce Feldman’s draft confidential:
“I think he’s a third corner with some upside. He’s thin-framed and has been hurt. You worry about about him getting hurt a lot.”
Why he’s a second-round pick
The only real questions with Rakestraw are health and long speed. He ran a 4.51 40 at the NFL combine, though he said he wasn’t 100 percent at the time. Even so, he isn’t a corner known for his speed. He’s known more for his physicality, sticky tendencies and nose for the ball. Will his average speed hinder him in the NFL? We’ll have to see how things play out. But there’s a lot to like about his game otherwise. — Colton Pouncy
With the selection of @MizzouFootball CB @EnnisRakestraw in the 2024 @NFLDraft, the @Lions have now selected a cornerback with their first two picks of a given Draft for the first time in the Super Bowl era.#OnePride pic.twitter.com/k7UHsTdPlE
— Detroit Lions PR (@LionsPR) April 27, 2024
Scott Dochterman grades the pick
Detroit’s primary weakness entering the draft was cornerback. The Lions were aggressive in addressing it with a pair of quality cornerbacks in the first and second rounds. Here, the Lions snagged the aggressive Rakestraw, who had 24 career passes defended in 36 games at Missouri. Rakestraw (5-11, 183) missed four games last year with a groin injury.
Grade: A-minus.
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How he fits
Holmes said Rakestraw was his No. 2 cornerback in the draft, behind Arnold. The double-dip at cornerback is new for the Lions. Prior to this draft, Holmes had never selected a cornerback within the top 100 picks. He’s now done it twice. What does that say about Arnold and Rakestraw? It says they fit like a glove. Rakestraw is a feisty, press-man corner who can play inside and out. He’s arguably the best tackling-corner in the draft. He has a quiet confidence that Holmes felt in the pre-draft process. And he projects as a future starter for this franchise.
Rookie impact
In pretty much any other year, Rakestraw would be walking into a position room with a chance to take somebody’s job from Day 1. And while that might still be the case, his path to doing so is significantly harder after the moves the Lions made this offseason. That is not a bad thing. In Year 2, Rakestraw could potentially serve as CB3 or CB4 in a suddenly stacked cornerback room, and be Detroit’s backup nickel behind Brian Branch. His inside-out versatility is something the Lions liked when they evaluated him. But again, the Lions typically like to let these position battles play out. Last year, Branch’s training camp play forced them to bench a former team captain in Tracy Walker to make room for Branch in the starting lineup. It’s all about fielding your best five.
Depth-chart impact
It’ll be fascinating to see what the Lions do at cornerback. And really, the secondary at large. For this year, Davis is the likely starter. He’s a veteran man corner with a Super Bowl ring. However, the second job should be up for grabs, with Amik Robertson the early favorite. The Lions have spoken highly of him all offseason. But the additions of Arnold and Rakestraw certainly change the dynamics. The Lions won’t have to rush them before they’re ready, but if they are, they’ll see the field in some capacity. That’s how the Lions roll.
They also could have picked …
BYU tackle Kingsley Suamataia. The Lions met with him at the combine, and he’s Penei Sewell’s cousin and an uber-athletic former five-star prospect. Had they selected Suamataia, he could have served as high-end depth, and perhaps insurance for a Taylor Decker exit.
Fast evaluation
Some might get hung up on the double-dip at cornerback, rather than a wide receiver, an offensive lineman or an edge at No. 61. But the Lions stuck to their board and added a second high-end prospect. If Arnold and Rakestraw are quality starting corners down the road – contributing to wins in a division that features Rome Odunze/DJ Moore in Chicago, Justin Jefferson/Jordan Addison in Minnesota and Christian Watson/Jayden Reed in Green Bay — few will look back on this draft for what the Lions passed on. They played the board and believe they solidified their secondary — a weakness last season. If that’s the case, watch out.
(Photo: Jay Biggerstaff / USA Today)
