The Detroit Lions wrapped up their organized team activities and are getting ready for the mandatory minicamp next week. Dan Campbell and the coaching staff emphasized the importance of not reading too much into what went down in the practices over the last few weeks, but Lions fans were still able to get some insight into next season's roster.
Even though OTAs generally provide little in terms of where individual players are physically, it can still give fans an idea about where some position battles are. One of those battles will be in the cornerback room.
As things stand now, DJ Reed and Terrion Arnold are starting on the outside, and Roger McCreary will be the primary option at nickel. The depth behind them, however, is more fluid. One cornerback whose role in next year's team is uncertain is Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. is entering a make-or-break season
This offseason was a particularly important one for the former second-round pick. After missing most of his rookie campaign with a hamstring injury and all of his second season with a shoulder injury, Rakestraw is entering a make-or-break season.
But first, he has to survive the training camp and make the 53-man roster.
It sounds like he has taken the necessary measures to make sure he ends up on the final roster. Rakestraw was reportedly a full participant during the OTAs, except for Thursday's practice, which he missed due to illness, per Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network.
Dan Campbell noted that Rakestraw added some mass during the offseason, saying, "he's a little more dense than he was." He added, "That’s always going to help the body. There’s nothing to say, there’s nothing that would tell me that he won’t be physically prepared to go into training camp. Now, you know, whatever happens happens, but he’s where he’s supposed to be right now in early June."
Rakestraw was an undersized defender when he first arrived in Detroit. Listed at 5'11" and 183 at the combine, Rakestraw was always going to struggle physically. The fact that he worked with the Lions staff to get stronger throughout his rehab and the offseason will hopefully prepare him better for NFL physicality.
There is obviously no guarantee that this will be the case. Injuries can always happen regardless of how well you take care of your body. However, Rakestraw may be doing everything in his power to finally establish himself as an NFL cornerback.
Rakestraw played a total of 46 defensive snaps in his NFL career. He had a bigger role on special teams in his rookie season, but he hasn't had the opportunity to showcase what he can do. He will be competing with Rock Ya-Sin to be the backup outside cornerback.
Given the Lions drafted Keith Abney and signed Christian Izien, both players who can see some snaps at nickel, they are likely both ahead of Rakestraw in the pecking order. This means that he may have to beat out Ya-Sin to finally get some consistent snaps in 2026.
Add us as a preferred source on Google