Just yesterday, and prior to the Detroit Lions' evening practice ahead of their Saturday afternoon clash with the Washington Commanders, SideLion Report's Michael Colwander named Ennis Rakestraw Jr. as a Lion who had to step up in order to secure his spot on the 53-man roster:
"Saturday against the Commanders would be the perfect opportunity for Rakestraw to prove PFF wrong in a wide-open CB competition. Show the Lions that their abysmal 2024 draft class can still be saved, and that they didn't go 0-2 at drafting corners in the first two rounds."
Rakestraw proceeded to piece together one of his best showings at camp all offseason, with reporters sharing that he had multiple pass breakups, an interception off a Christian Izien PBU, and a few big stops.
It's the exact kind of showing you'd expect from Rakestraw, as he's suddenly in a fight with players like Roger McCreary and Keith Abney II for not just a role in the Lions' defense, but for a spot on the roster in general.
Rakestraw fights back after criticized preseason performance
Rakestraw had taken exception with his PFF grade from his preseason performance, which was cut short due to a shoulder contusion. He told reporters, "I think I had one man (coverage) rep with a catch. Other than that, it was zones...They don’t know what they’re talking about anyway. They couldn’t even tell me what coverage we were in."
In his defense, PFF does an excellent job of taking a larger view on teams and individual performances, but not so much with measuring individual performances on a more micro-scale. Data shouldn't be the be all, end all of any narrative, but rather a color you use to paint the picture. Rakestraw has a point in that regard.
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However, he had gotten a burned a few times in the preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals prior to his injury, so it's not all that far fetched to say he didn't have quite an impactful preseason debut. Better than, let's say, McCreary, but not better than players like Nick Whiteside or even rookie Keith Abney II.
Consistency is key for Rakestraw this season, assuming he makes the Lions' roster. He's essentially their only hope to salvage what's turning out to be quite a dude of a draft class from 2024, and he has the tools to be a disruptive presence in coverage. But, health and consistency have to be his two major goals this season to redeem himself, and the class.
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