The Detroit Lions find themselves in somewhat of a dilemma in week eight, as the state of the secondary is beginning to look murky. Brian Branch returned against the Green Bay Packers, and Kerby Joseph is back at practice, so the back end of the defense should be up to snuff. The cornerback position has been a struggle for the Lions this season, but Ennis Rakestraw Jr. has been a bright spot recently.
Out of every cornerback with at least 80 snaps, Rakestraw is among the best in terms of preventing separation, and he's also been elite at disrupting a receiver's hands when the ball arrives. Injuries derailed his first two seasons, but he's played in every game since week three this year at a time when the Lions need him. His potential was still relatively unknown and untapped heading into 2026, but it appears that he could still become a CB1 in the future, which is great for Detroit.
In the future is key. Rakestraw could still be considered a rookie on the field, given he's played in just ten total games. He likely won't reach his peak as a pro for at least a couple more seasons, and the Lions can't afford to wait that long for a high-end cornerback, because their super bowl window is now.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. looks good, but the Lions should still look to trade for a CB
Out of every Lions defensive back with at least 100 snaps, Rakestraw has the second-best passer rating allowed (76.4), behind only Keith Abney II (76.0), per NFL NextGen Stats. DJ Reed has been starting on the outside for Detroit this season, and he's gotten exposed regularly. With a passer rating of 140.6, only nine other players in the league are worse in coverage than Reed.
However, it's difficult to blame Reed when most people knew he wasn't good enough to be CB1 before the season started. Add in the fact that Detroit's defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard seemed clueless for the first six weeks of the season, and it's pretty clear why it wasn't a recipe for success. But there is still time to make a move before the trade deadline on Nov. 10.
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Even with the worst passing defense in the league, the Lions are 4-2 and still have control of the ship. The offensive line is playing at an elite level, Jared Goff is a sneaky MVP candidate and the offensive weapons are firing when they need to. A decent defense is all this team needs to compete for a super bowl.
Unfortunately for the Lions, they play in the same division as Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, which makes the need for a CB1 even more glaring. The Vikings travel to Detroit in week eight for their first matchup of the season. and if Jefferson goes off, it might make Brad Holmes pay attention.
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