Lions 2024 draft: 5 things to know about Ennis Rakestraw

Here are five things you should know about new Detroit Lions CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr.

With the 61st pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions selected Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. While the pick was a mild surprise given Detroit had already selected Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold in the first round, Rakestraw certainly fits the team’s profile of a gritty competitor.

Let’s get to know Rakestraw a little better with five things to know about the Lions defensive back.

His recruitment to Missouri was CRAZY

Rakestraw was heavily recruited by Nick Saban and Alabama, and was ready to join the Crimson Tide a day before his official commitment.

“I actually was committed to Alabama. I told Nick Saban the day before signing day,” Rakestraw said back during the NFL Combine.

But when signing day came and he got to the announcement table, the decision didn’t feel right. He made an impromptu audible right then and there. He chose Missouri because he wanted to be part of a program that was built from the ground up.

“I wanted to go to a program that wasn’t already built up and structured and make them a winning program,” Rakestraw said.

Now watch as Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz reacted live to the commitment. Safe to say he was pretty excited:

Meanwhile, Rakestraw accomplished what he set out to do. He helped the Tigers go from back-to-back 6-7 seasons to an impressive 11-2 year in 2023, including a win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.

He draws inspiration from being undersized from birth

Rakestraw was born a couple months early, which led to an early some early extra attention in the hospital.

“I was premature by a couple of months,” Rakestraw said in the profile above. “I was extremely small. Nobody wanted to touch me but my mom and (I) had to spend a couple of days in the hospital, but I was a fighter.”

From then on, he was continually being overlooked due to his size. Football coaches were afraid to play him, leading him to one of the most pivotal moments of his life…

He has a tremendous chip on his shoulder after being turned away from a football camp

Speaking with the Lions media via Zoom right after being selected by Detroit, Rakestraw detailed a story from his youth that still feeds him motivation today. In short, while on a college visit, he and his friend traveled four hours to the Under Armor All-American camp. But once he arrived, they took one look at him and deemed he was too small to play, and sent him packing.

“I got there and they turned me around,” Rakestraw said. “So it was like, ‘Man, so we drove all the way here and (my friend) is the only one that got to go. So I feel like it was a slap in my face and showed me that I needed to work a little bit harder because nobody believed in me.”

So he bulked up, going from about 139 pounds to 154, and he proved his worth going up against some of the best receivers that Texas high school football had to offer.

“I was the No. 1 corner at my school now,” Rakestraw said. “Obviously, Texas got the best football 6A (division). I had to guard some top receivers who were even draft picks or five-star (recruits), decade players of the year, and I shut them down. I feel like that’s when I started getting my credit.”

He does have a bit of an injury history

Rakestraw tore his ACL in 2021, just four games into the season. He also missed an additional four games last year with a core and groin injury. He underwent core surgery that caused him to miss the Senior Bowl, and he blamed some slow athletic times at the NFL Combine on his recovery.

He brings a lot of versatility, including a potential key special teams role

Rakestraw began his Missouri career at nickel before moving to the outside. He actually compared playing the nickel to more of an NFL style, because in the big leagues, the hashmarks are tighter and there’s less open space.

“The hash is so much tighter and everything is pretty much into the field,” Rakestraw explained. “Even in to the boundary, it’s still to the field. So I learned to play with space and great leverage and that’s what helped me out on the nickel.”

Rakestraw was also a gunner for the Tigers, which could give him an early role in Detroit on special teams while he competes in a crowded cornerback room for a defensive role.