By Blessing 
The Detroit Lions faced challenges evaluating rookie cornerback Ennis Rakestraw during his first season in Detroit due to limited playing time. The team’s second-round pick in the 2024 draft struggled with injuries, which kept him on the sidelines for much of the season. As a result, he appeared in just eight games and recorded only four solo tackles. Rakestraw also contributed on special teams, but his injury setbacks left the Lions unable to assess his full potential.
Looking ahead to 2025, Rakestraw is eager to show what he’s capable of now that he’s healthy. Reflecting on his journey, he shared during his end-of-season press conference, “This just brings me back to my roots of everybody doubting me and not believing that a kid from West Dallas can do this. So, I’m just appreciative that they gave me my fire back. I’ll use it in the offseason. I’ll be better, I promise.”
Meanwhile, the Lions turned to free agency, signing veteran cornerback D.J. Reed to a three-year, $48 million deal after Carlton Davis left the team. While general manager Brad Holmes acknowledged that the team is still high on Rakestraw, he explained at the league meetings that the lack of sufficient game footage made it difficult to fully evaluate him as a potential No. 2 cornerback.
“I knew that we had to be in that corner market,” Holmes said. “That’s not anything against Rakestraw. 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.”
Rakestraw, limited to only 46 defensive snaps due to hamstring injuries, is focused on returning stronger and ready to compete for a starting role in the upcoming season. Holmes is confident that Rakestraw’s drive will fuel him to put in the work necessary for a successful 2025 campaign.