The Lions added cornerback Ennis Rakestraw in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft last year, but a look into the rookie’s first full season brings about questions concerning whether or not he was worth the draft stock used on him. A bit of position change and some new competition should give him a chance at redemption in 2025, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. 
As a rookie, Rakestraw’s primary focus was playing as a slot cornerback. The 23-year-old claims that he was even in line to start the team’s Week 2 contest before suffering a pulled hamstring in pregame warmups. After a sports hernia from his days at Missouri limited him in training camp and the pulled hamstring forced him to miss two games early, the injuries compounded, and an eventual strained hamstring sent him to injured reserve for the last seven games of the season.
Even when he was healthy, though, Rakestraw struggled to get on the field as a rookie. Through eight game appearances, Rakestraw only saw 46 defensive snaps. He did see more than double that number of snaps on special teams, but a second-round pick is an expensive price to pay for a special teamer.
So far, in summer activities this year, Rakestraw has been working exclusively as an outside cornerback. Per Birkett, “he took first-team reps at left cornerback last week and should compete for the top backup” role behind returning starter Terrion Arnold and free agent addition D.J. Reed. The slot should be perfectly fine without Rakestraw as Amik Robertson returns as the primary nickelback and another free agent addition, Avonte Maddox, should back him up.
Cornerbacks coach Deshea Townsend adds that he thinks Rakestraw should benefit from being able to solely focus on playing outside cornerback. His competition for the CB3 job will be Khalil Dorsey and Rock Ya-Sin. Dorsey has been in Detroit the last two seasons. He’s started three games in that span, but outside of those three games, he’s hardly seen the field. Still, the Lions signed him to a new two-year deal this offseason.
Ya-Sin, another free agent addition this offseason, hasn’t seen significant playing time since 2022. Also a former second-round pick, Ya-Sin was traded from the Colts to the Raiders for the final year of his rookie contract, starting 38 games in his first four years. In the two years since, Ya-Sin has spent a year each with the Ravens and 49ers coming off the bench and playing mostly on special teams.
Rakestraw will have a lot to prove in his sophomore season in order to quiet the critics. Some renewed health, a move to the outside, and some real competition should help push him to improve in his second year.
In the 2023 game versus UGA, I saw Rakestraw and thought he was absolutely legit. He has the swagger, and doesn’t lack confidence in the least bit. He’d come up and make plays versus the run, and then lock his guy down all day.
I thought for sure he was going to be a NFL star, but it sounds like dealing with all of those injuries just might have stunted his confidence. Rakestraw seems like a player that thrives off his confidence, and like that is the fuel that gets him at his best and ready to take on any WRs or RBs he meets in open space.
I expect a significant improvement for Rakestraw this year, and I am not the least bit concerned with his ability to be a stud at the NFL level. He might not be the star I once thought he was going to become, but there isnt any reason he cannot become a consistent and productive starter on the outside for Detroit.
Valuable insight. Thanks
Corner is not a position where you should freak out if a guy struggles as a rookie.
Another example of why the “experts” at draft time should be taken with a grain of salt. This guy was on every list of top draft steals. He may still turn our to be a good player and have a long career but it’s just a reminder as to why these are on TV or the web and not working in NFL Front Offices.
And people who work in front offices famously don’t get any draft picks wrong.
As a Packer fan. I hope he and Arnold continue to struggle. But rookies often take time. If they’re not consistently producing by year mid year three. It’s bust time. But not until then. Dude has relent that’s for sure