Ennis

Rakestraw

Rakestraw’s season is over. The injury’s specifics have not yet been released but it was severe enough to require surgery. Rakestraw’s 2024 rookie season was derailed by a hamstring injury as well. Hopefully, he can log a full season in 2026. The Lions correspondingly signed TE Steven Stilianos.

Speaking with the media, Campbell said of Rakestraw’s injury, “Hate it for the kid. It’s not his fault. Just one of those tough deals.” While Campbell stopped short of saying Rakestraw’s injury was considered a serious one, the tone he struck suggests the second-year corner may miss some time. We’ll know for sure when the team reports back with what they learned through the evaluations, but even if it’s a minor injury, it’s hard to ignore the myriad of injuries that have plagued Rakestraw since entering the league last year. We’ll check back in with an update on Rakestraw’s status when one is provided.

Campbell said he expects Rakestraw to miss a few days after the X-rays on his chest came back negative. It’s the best outcome we could hope for at this stage of the season as players begin to ramp up practices in preparation for the season. Rakestraw appeared in eight games last season due to a hamstring injury and appeared on just 46 defensive snaps.

The second-year cornerback left practice earlier today, being supported by trainers. Rapoport describes the diagnosis as “a positive outcome.” Rakestraw appeared in just eight games as a rookie, plagued by a recurring hamstring strain suffered during Week 2 warmups. He ultimately landed on injured reserve in November. Rakestraw is trying to win a starting job from Amik Robertson in training camp.

Montgomery was trending toward a return after being a full participant in practice all week. The thunder to Jahmyr Gibbs’ lightning will officially be good to go for Saturday’s game, with a right to host the NFC Championship Game on the line. Montgomery averaged 15.8 touches per game during the regular season and should see plenty of work against a Commanders defense that has struggled to slow opposing ground games. In addition to Montgomery, the Lions also listed CB Ennis Rakestraw as questionable for Saturday’s game while ruling out guard Kevin Zeitler (hamstring) and DE Pat O’Conner (calf).

Rakestraw suffered a hamstring injury in November and hasn’t played since Week 11. The rookie second-rounder has appeared in eight games this season but has only played on 46 defensive snaps while earning a PFF coverage grade of 41.0. There’s a chance he could see more snaps in the postseason, however, as the Lions are dealing with multiple injuries on defense.

The Lions selected Arnold with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and hope to have the rookie as a starter in the secondary. However, Arnold suffered a pec injury in practice, briefly putting a wrench in those plans. Second-round rookie CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. was also hurt in Monday’s practice with an apparent ankle injury. In addition to the two rookies, free agent signing Carlton Davis is also expected to contribute for a revamped Lions secondary that allowed the second-most passing yards per attempt last season. The good news is that Arnold is not expected to miss regular season time, while Rakestraw said he’s “perfectly fine” via an Instagram Live. The Lions will still be able to use the rookies next to Davis to improve the defense this season.

Rakestraw (5’11/183) was rated as a standard three-star prospect and the 70th cornerback from the 2020 recruiting class. Rakestraw diligently rehabbed an ACL injury and was able to return in time to start Missouri’s 2022 season opener against Louisiana Tech and play a career-high 725 snaps, 10 PBUs, and a 50% completion rate while forcing incompletions on 23% of his targets. He ran a respectable 4.51s 40-yard dash with a laudable 1.52s 10-yard split that ranks in the 90th percentile. Though spindly, Rakestraw has abnormally long 32-inch arms, which help him probe receivers and be disruptive at the catch point. Comfortable in press coverage and has legitimate mirroring skills that keep him in phase during breaks. Rakestraw is noticeably light and can get washed out when he doesn’t get an immediate read on the play, but he is more than happy to step up in run support and do his job on the outside. He had trouble staying on the field with injuries, which could add to concerns about his slight frame and questionable long speed. 205 snaps from the slot over the last two years shows his versatility to play inside or outside. He profiles like a less-athletic version of Washington Commanders CB Emmanuel Forbes.

This is a tough break for Rakestraw (6'0/172), who had appeared in four games for Missouri this season, which included a start against Central Michigan in Week 1. Per Pro Football Focus, Rakestraw has 15 tackles on the season to go with three passes defensed on 216 snaps.

“From sitting without a Power Five offer seven months ago to selecting among Missouri, Alabama and Texas, Rakestraw experienced a tremendous recruiting journey over the last couple of months,” Farrell writes of the 6-foot, 170-pounder, who signed with Mizzou on Wednesday. Rakestraw saw this massive bump in interest thanks to a stellar senior season of high school ball. And hats off to Missouri and new HC Eliah Drinkwitz, who swiped Rakestraw from two traditional Power Five powerhouses. Missouri was not the favorite to land the cornerback coming into National Signing Day. Rivals ranks Rakestraw as the No. 106 prospect in the state of Texas (he hails from Duncanville) for the 2020 cycle.