The Detroit Lions got 46 defensive snaps out of second-round cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in 2024. The club hopes to see a greater return on investment in 2025.
"I've said this before, an NFL player, most of the time, the biggest jump you make of growth is between Year 1 and Year 2," Lions coach Dan Campbell said at the NFL's Annual League Meeting this week via the team's official website. "So, he's going into Year 2. He had a couple of injuries that took him off the field, which is unfortunate because he was going [in games] and helping us a bit on [special] teams, which was good."
Injuries held Rakestraw out of all but eight games last season, and, when active, he rarely saw the field on defense. He played just 46 snaps on defense but 95 on special teams. The two tilts he saw the most action were blowouts -- 17 snaps versus Dallas and 14 versus Tennessee. As the nearest defender, the rookie allowed five catches on six targets for 62 yards, per Next Gen Stats.
A physical cornerback, the Lions drafted Rakestraw to pair with first-rounder Terrion Arnold in hopes of solving their CB issues on the outside. That plan didn't pan out in Year 1.
"I would anticipate this guy takes another step up, man," Campbell said. "We're not down on him. We're not disappointed. We expect him to go in there and compete, man. There is nothing set in stone. You draft guys where you do and you sign guys according to what you think they're going to be for you, but the best man is going to play. So, he's very much in that mix."
The Lions might not be down on Rakestraw, but they also didn't sit by and bank on the corner staying healthy and improving. After Carlton Davis left for New England, Detroit signed D.J. Reed, Avonte Maddox and Rock Ya-Sin in free agency, all veterans with extensive experience.
The Lions CB room is crowded, which will make for a good training camp battle, but according to general manager Brad Holmes, it isn't an indicator of how they view Rakestraw's future.
"We're still excited about Rakestraw, but unfortunately, he had injuries, and he wasn't healthy enough to provide us a little bit more clarity in terms of where he was gonna be, so, I didn't think it was going to be rational for us to depend on him," Holmes said. "But I know how Rakestraw's wired, and this is going to fuel him to be ready and compete. So, we're still excited about him but we're just adding depth."
The Lions went through CBs at an extraordinary rate last season, so ensuring enough depth in 2025 is the smart play. Where Rakestraw ultimately lands in the pecking order -- rotational player or primarily special teams -- will be determined this summer.
