The Detroit Lions' defensive injuries helped derail the promising 2024-25 campaign, as a battered unit couldn't slow Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders down in a 45-31 loss.
Getting Defensive Player of the Year candidate Aidan Hutchinson back should help matters, though the Lions still invested heavily on the defensive end to give him help. They brought in cornerback D.J. Reed to support All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph while expecting a leap from 2024 second-rounder Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
Unfortunately for the player and the secondary, Detroit was dealt a terrible piece of injury news for Rakestraw on Thursday. Now, the Lions have no choice but to give a former All-Pro and Defensive Player of the Year a call.
#Lions CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. underwent successful shoulder surgery today and will miss all of the 2025 season.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 7, 2025
A tough blow for the talented 2nd-round pick, who was poised to take on a much bigger role in Detroit’s secondary this year before suffering the injury in practice. pic.twitter.com/13ULLiuBMe
Lions Must Call CB Stephon Gilmore to Replace Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in 2025
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that Rakestraw Jr. underwent successful shoulder surgery and would miss the entire campaign. It was already known that he had the surgery following an injury in practice, though unfortunately, now we know he won't play this year.
That's a devastating blow for a unit dependent on Rakestraw, but 2019 Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore is still available in free agency. The 34-year-old Gilmore isn't what he once was, yet he still started 15 games for the Minnesota Vikings' league-best defense in 2024, ranking 93rd out of 222 qualified cornerbacks at Pro Football Focus.
At this stage in training camp, the Lions don't have many options. Scoring Gilmore at a discount would represent an ideal Band-Aid to what could be a season-destroying problem. All that truly matters is whether or not Detroit makes the Super Bowl. They've been to the NFC title game, they've won the division, and they've dominated the regular season. If the superior passing attacks of the conference pick apart the secondary, fans' angst will only grow.
This is no time to sit on your hands. It's better to know now that Rakestraw is done for the season than to find out later. Gilmore has 32 career interceptions and is one of the best lockdown corners of the era. At the very least, he could help teach 2024 first-rounder Terrion Arnold the tricks of the trade and be a positive veteran influence.
Signing Gilmore at this stage to see if he has some juice left makes all of the sense in the world. General manager Brad Holmes needs to explore every option, and it's all hands on deck to ensure the secondary is ready to compete with the best in Week 1.