The Detroit Lions were excited to add Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. to their secondary last season in the first and second rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft. Arnold started from Day 1 and played opposite veteran Carlton Davis on the boundary.
Meanwhile, Rakestraw was set to become the Lions’ starting nickelback, but injuries derailed his rookie season, which led to veteran Amik Robertson taking over and becoming the starter.
In the offseason, the Lions lost Davis in free agency but signed veteran DJ Reed to a three-year deal, giving them the perfect replacement cornerback opposite Arnold. However, that still leaves a question mark about Rakestraw’s role in the secondary.
This past week, Lions defensive back coach Deshea Townsend told reporters that they’re letting Rakestraw focus more on outside cornerback for the time being, per Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit.
With Robertson locked in as the team’s starting slot cornerback, it makes sense for the former second-round pick to hone his skills to play on the outside. However, this also means Rakestraw has gone from possible starting option to a clear backup since the Arnold-Reed duo will begin games on the outside.
Rakestraw dealt with an ankle injury before the 2024 NFL season began, but played 11 snaps in the regular season opener against the Los Angeles Rams.
The former Mizzou defensive back was scheduled to step into the starting lineup in Week 2, but he sustained a hamstring injury, which forced him off the field until Week 4. Rakestraw played 84 special teams and 43 defensive snaps between Weeks 4-11, but was once again hit by the injury bug, sidelining him for the rest of the season.
The Lions hope Rakestraw can stay healthy, and this move from the slot to the outside will help with that. The 5-foot-11 cornerback is solid in man coverage, has good footwork, and will play physical. He ran a 4.51 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, so he has the speed to stay with various wide receivers.
Therefore, this change for Rakestraw could be good as he can work on his skills without the pressure of being a starter.