The Lions Draft Prospect of the Day sticks in the secondary with a player who has been popularly projected to be Detroit’s top pick before the NFL Scouting Combine.
The focus for the Lions prospect of the day is on players who should hold some appeal to Detroit in the draft, with a focus on the more likely positions the team will be targeting. If you’re looking for quarterbacks or upper-echelon running backs, you’re probably not going to find those here. Outside cornerbacks, defensive linemen, interior offensive linemen, some wide receivers and offensive tackles figure to appear along the path to April’s draft. Not all of the players will be top-100 prospects, either.
Today’s prospect is a teammate and running mate of yesterday’s featured player.
Ennis Rakestraw, CB, Missouri
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 183 pounds (measured at NFL Scouting Combine)
A four-year player for the Tigers, Rakestraw started at corner in 32 career games. The Dallas-area native was a three-star recruit who played right away for Missouri, starting 10 games as a true freshman in 2020. He took a medical redshirt in 2021 after tearing his ACL early in the season, but bounced back to become a full-time starter in his final two years. In 2023, the honor roll fixture registered 35 tackles and four pass breakups in 10 games, following up a 2022 where Rakestraw broke out with 12 PDs and and INT to go with 4.5 TFLs and 35 tackles. He turns 23 in June.
What I like
- Physical corner who is at his best aggressively pressing at the line
- Very quick, active feet that never stop
- Above-average route recognition and has the feet and fluid hips to quickly react
- Stronger than he looks for his skinny frame and isn’t shy about hitting
- Stays in phase well on in-breaking routes
- Experienced playing in both the slot and outside, though primarily outside
- Works actively to shed blocks
- Tended to play better against higher-level competition
- Might have best-in-class lower-body flexibility
What worries me going into the NFL
- Top-end speed isn’t great and he lacks a chase gear when beaten; the 4.54 40-time at the combine shows on tape
- Guilty of a lot of illegal contact fouls that aren’t penalties in college; counted at least three in all six games I watched
- Injuries: Torn ACL in 2021, missed 4 games in 2023 with a groin injury, missed 2024 Senior Bowl with a separate core muscle injury
- Doesn’t reliably locate the ball in the air in man coverage
- Not nearly as effective in coverage if he can’t get his hands on the receiver early
Best game I watched: LSU
Worst game I watched: Kansas State ’22
Overall
Rakestraw is a good outside cornerback prospect with some legitimate questions about his ability to thrive at the next level. He’s smart, cat-quick, and at his best in the physical man coverage the Lions like to use outside. While he’s not a great run defender, he’s at least willing. His feet, hips and balance are all fantastic—traits a coaching staff can work with.
There are some definite points of concern. Rakestraw came in shorter and lighter than expected and didn’t test well at the combine. He was dealing with a lingering injury, and injuries are a big part of Rakestraw’s profile. His slight frame and aggressive style aren’t exactly a combination that leads to durability. He’ll need to learn the five-year contact rule quickly.
Rakestraw projects as a second-round pick with high upside but also a lower floor than a lot of his peers. I would prefer teammate Kris Abrams-Draine in Detroit, though the Lions might not see it that way.