The NFL Draft needs CB support for the Detroit Lions, and Missouri’s Ennis Rakestraw would be a good fit.
Before Emmanuel Moseley’s knee gave out, he played two snaps. Jerry Jacobs was fired from his first position in the middle of the year. Furthermore, even though Kindle Vildor showed promise in his late-season appearance, Moseley, Jacobs, and backup Will Harris will all be unrestricted free agents in May.
The best approach to filling the snaps that the Lions have available in their secondary is to sign one of the top two cornerbacks available as free agency. My selection for first-team All-Pro in 2023 went to Chicago Bears rookie Jaylon Johnson, while the Kansas City Chiefs’ squad, which just won its second consecutive Super Bowl, had second-best defensive player L’Jarius Sneed.
The issue is that, should they even reach free agency, both Johnson and Sneed will demand multi-year, high-paying contracts; therefore, both players should use the franchise tag. Additionally, Lions general manager Brad Holmes has stated that his team won’t be significant players in this spring’s free agency.
A cornerback could be signed by the Lions. Stephon Gilmore, a veteran who is coming off a terrific season and will receive a short-term contract (and who might desire to play with his brother, Steven, in Detroit), looks like a decent fit.But they have prudently set aside their funds to preserve the integrity of their own fledgling core.
This implies that the Lions won’t be splurging on large contracts for outside assistance, leaving the draft as their main means of taking care of their secondary.
The Lions won’t have a top-10 choice in the draft for the first time since 2018. Even if they won’t select the best defensive end or offensive lineman available, the Jacksonville Jaguars own the 29th choice in the first round, which should put them in a good position to address their struggling secondary in the long run.
In a conference call on Tuesday, ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller stated, “I’m looking at it right now, and I have six corners with a first-round grade, so we could see a run on the corner position most definitely.” “I believe there are a lot of teams that need a cornerback this year, and there are also a lot of really good corners.” Thus, this year’s necessity vs. value clash at Corner is extremely unique.”
This year, there are a few really talented cornerback prospects who could go undrafted in the middle to bottom part of Round 1, but there aren’t any blue-chip prospects who project as top five picks. Others are large (Nate Wiggins of Clemson), others are adaptable (Cooper DeJean of Iowa), some have demonstrated extraordinary playmaking skills (Tieron Arnold of Alabama), some could be best suited for the slot (Kamari Lassiter of Georgia), and some simply appear destined for the Lions.
Devon Witherspoon of Illinois did just that the previous season; he was selected one selection ahead of the Lions at No. 6 before the time ran out. And that’s currently the situation with Ennis Rakestraw Jr. of Missouri.
Rakestraw played through a core muscle issue that necessitated surgery last season, missed the majority of the 2021 season due to an ACL tear, and has one interception in 36 games. He carries some danger in his role as a player.
But for the most part of his career, he was a willing run defender and a tough press corner who produced strong tape. He answers a very obvious need for the lions. Additionally, he seems to possess some of the intangible qualities that Holmes and his scouting team have given such careful consideration to when constructing the squad.
“The fact that he played almost all year with a core muscle injury that he had surgery for in December, that just speaks to toughness for me,” Miller stated. “So, yes, he is a great tackler in space, especially considering his lack of size, and I believe that his physicality at the line of scrimmage makes him a prototypical Detroit Lion type player.” He will most likely weigh about 190 pounds at 6 feet, with a chance of 195 if he’s lucky. isn’t particularly physical based only on height, weight, or strength, but he plays like one of the most physical corners in this draft or any other.
“He’s right there with some of the best corners I’ve evaluated at playing near the line of scrimmage and using that physicality. “Years ago, I had a scout tell me that teams do not select cornerbacks primarily for their run defense skills. If you have an excessive number of those, opponents won’t ever feel compelled to run the ball.
However, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn of the Lions has long believed that a defense gains its toughness from its tiny people, and Rakestraw would undoubtedly bring that to Detroit.Rakestraw is a very effective pass defender in addition to being tough, and Miller used a specific game from last season to illustrate his point.
Miller remarked, “I always watch the LSU game back home.” “The LSU offense utterly destroyed every opponent they faced. They had Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas, both of whom are certain to be selected in the top-20, but they only threw at him once, and it was an incomplete pass. They did not throw at him for the remainder of the game. That, in my opinion, speaks much about his talent and reputation that you would rather throw at a shrewd veteran like Kris Abrams-Draine on the opposing team than take on Rakestraw.”
Two months remain till the draft, and I’m just now getting serious about the process. Rakestraw might show well at the NFL combine the following week and depart Indianapolis with a top-20 pick that is guaranteed.
The draft, in my opinion, is the best way to acquire the cornerback assistance the Lions need in the long run. They should have alternatives at No. 29, and Rakestraw fits the bill both personnel-wise and scheme-wise, even though Holmes won’t ever force a pick to fill a spot.