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The Detroit Lions are looking forward to seeing cornerback Ennis Rakestraw in action during the 2026 training camp. Injuries have been the primary setback for Rakestraw over his first two professional seasons, as he appeared in only eight games as a rookie and sat out his entire second year. Consequently, he enters the upcoming campaign with an air of uncertainty, yet the organization maintains a positive outlook on his potential contributions to the defense.
Rakestraw is slated to vie for the starting cornerback position opposite D.J. Reed, a spot that opened up following the release of Terrion Arnold amid an ongoing legal matter. Despite his limited on-field experience, head coach Dan Campbell is intrigued by Rakestraw's capabilities and the skill set he brings to the table. While some have speculated that Rakestraw might be better suited for the nickel cornerback role, the Lions view him primarily as an outside cornerback.
Campbell elaborated on Rakestraw's attributes, noting that his injury history has prevented the team from fully witnessing his abilities. However, he emphasized that Rakestraw logged numerous reps on the outside during his college career at Missouri. "He's got excellent feet," Campbell said. "His hips, man, his change of direction. He's got ball skills. He can track the ball down the field. There are just things that he's got about him and there's a natural ability to him that you feel like is conducive to playing outside. And that's probably where he'll have most of his time, but yet let's see what he can do inside too."
Rakestraw, who was predominantly an outside cornerback at Missouri, compensated for his slightly undersized frame with a feisty demeanor that aligns well with Detroit's defensive identity. Campbell expressed excitement about Rakestraw's development entering his third year, stating, "He's going into year three. Although he hasn't banked a ton of reps, you begin to mature and you grow and we feel like just from what he is internally, I'm not talking about the football player, but just you do. You mature, you grow, you learn. And so, we're pretty excited for him, this camp, to see what he's got."
Key Analysis
With Arnold's departure, the Lions have several options for the outside cornerback role. Rock Ya-Sin is expected to start opposite Reed, but the team will also give looks to Roger McCreary and rookie Keith Abney on the outside. Campbell emphasized the importance of having all defensive backs prepared to play outside in case of unforeseen circumstances like injuries. "They will take some outside reps," Campbell said. "McCreary's played out. So has Abney in college. Now, I know he just stepped into our building. But, they'll take some of those outside, but we still want to let them sink their teeth into some of this nickel. And look, we're going to let Rakestraw take a little nickel too on some of this stuff and see where it is. But, all those guys got to be prepared to go outside. The guys we know who will stay outside right now are Reed and Rock. And then those other guys need to be able to, let's see if they can do some stuff inside."
Originally reported by newspub_live.