Grade: B-
The reason I went with B- here is because the penalties did happen and while he took a big break from them, he had a 45-yard one on Sunday. He’s getting better at everything though.
Ennis Rakestraw
I had a lot of high hopes for Rakestraw coming out, but the Lions are really taking their time with him. He’s only played 43 snaps this season after what we all thought was a really good summer. I mean people were calling him Pickstraw because he kept getting interceptions at camp.
At this time the Lions either plan to enter him into the conversation more in 2025 or they’re looking to get him more involved in the second half of the season. All I can do now is grade him what we’ve seen and what we’ve seen hasn’t been super great.
Grade: C-
Don’t get too crazy about this grade or overthink it. Rakestraw isn’t a bust or anything of the sort. He’s just not playing a lot and the few times that he did play, he struggled like 95% of rookies do.
Giovanni Manu
Lions fans aren’t going to like me saying this, but this pick scares me now. I loved it in the moment and saw the upside like everyone else did, but then I saw, like everyone else did, at camp that he might be a year or two away from being a year or two away. He is crazy raw at this point. Like raw enough to where you’re teaching him how to play the game.
He got better with time, but he’s not ready to take the field this year and he probably won’t be next year either.
Grade: F
Do not freak out just yet. The upside is still there. The guy is mountain of a man and he has Sewell level athleticism and strength. If he can learn to use it and comes along nicely, this pick is going to be an all time steal. Then again if he can’t, it’ll be the time the Lions didn’t draft and edge or a receiver so they could pick a long term project.
Sione Vaki
He’s doing pretty much exactly what the Lions want him to do. You saw on Sunday how he double speared two guys like he was Bill Goldberg on Nitro or something. The Lions drafted him to be a running back at some point and that point is coming, but the thing that Holmes said he really liked was Vaki’s special teams ability. We’re definitely seeing it.
Right now Vaki has a 90 special teams grade from Pro Football Focus. He’s one of the best special teams players in the league at the moment. Once he gets worked into the offense more and maybe plays some safety here and there, he’s going to look like the biggest steal of the draft.
Grade: A
I mean seriously, look at this.