Film Review: Ennis Rakestraw 's Toughness Outweighs Stature

Rakestraw's physicality helps him overcome his small stature.

Sep 11, 2021; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive back Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (2). / Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Lions elected to stock up on cornerbacks for the future this offseason. 

After trading up to get Terrion Arnold in the first round, the team elected to stay at the position when its second-round selection came around. This decision may tie in with the fact that there was a solid player still on the board in Missouri’s Ennis Rakestraw. 

The Missouri product fits the Lions’ style with toughness and grit. He is also versatile and capable of making an impact early in his career. 

Here are five takeaways from reviewing his film from his time at Missouri. 

Toughness

The biggest defining factor for Rakestraw is his toughness. He has a smaller frame, which isn’t always ideal when it comes to playing the boundary cornerback spot. However, he makes up for that with the ability to get downhill and deliver a big hit. 

This skill shows up in run defense. He keeps his head on a swivel and isn’t afraid to shed a block and set a firm edge when teams run to the sideline. He logged over 100 career tackles, including seven tackles for loss, and figures to be solid in this area at the next level. 

The one downfall is his size, which could make it tougher for him to assert himself against bigger players in the NFL. With that, he is capable of lining up against either slot receivers or boundary pass-catchers because of his fearless play. This toughness allows him to be capable of overcoming some of those shortcomings. 

Speed

Rakestraw, like Arnold, was knocked a bit for his speed. However, on tape he plays much faster than the time he ran at the NFL Combine in the 40-yard dash. He was dealing with  the effects of rehabbing a core muscle injury at the time of the Combine, so he may not have been 100 percent. 

He has very good instincts and awareness to find the ball and get downhill against the run. Additionally, his footwork allows him to stay on top of routes. He has patience in his backpedal, but he’s always ready to break and get downhill. He can have issues staying on top of deep routes, as he doesn’t have top-end speed, but his lateral quickness allows him to stay in phase against the majority of routes. 

Technique

Rakestraw has solid technique in press man, which will be a big asset to his development with the Lions. He uses his hands well at the contact point while drumming his feet quickly to match the pace of the opposing receiver.

He appears to be disciplined, so he doesn’t fall for set-up moves from his assignment. In addition to the discipline, he has the IQ to anticipate what his opponent’s next move will be. He simply battles on the perimeter. 

Still, there are times where Rakestraw is too hands-on in coverage. He’ll need to refine that area of his game, as he can still do more damage in the first five yards. 

Lack of takeaways

Another knock throughout the Draft process for Rakestraw was his lack of takeaways, as he had just one interception throughout his college career. He had decent numbers from a passes defensed aspect, but he struggled to take the ball away. 

Rakestraw sometimes is a step late to the ball, or can have a tough time in contested situations against bigger receivers. However, he does to a good job of using his long frame to get in the way of passes and wrestles at the ball when it’s up for grabs. 

With just one interception at the college level, there’s fair concern about whether he’s capable of making an impact in this area. Yet, his technique and discipline point to there being an uptick in production. 

Tackling

Rakestraw's toughness stands out, but he does have a bad habit in the run game. One thing that plagued him at points last season was him dropping his eyes when trying to make a run fit, and missing the tackle as a result.

This is worth monitoring. Tackling has not been a consistent issue in his career, as he missed just three tackles last year per Pro Football Focus. Yet, all three of those misses were against Florida where this issue really stuck out.

He'll need to be more consistent with his run fits as he becomes a pro, and the toughness will help carry him to meet that goal.

In Rakestraw, the Lions got a versatile cornerback who has the necessary skill set to be an every-down player at this league. When he becomes that player remains to be seen, as it will depend on how he handles bigger receivers and where he fits in terms of position.

He's a talented player who will help the Lions' secondary sooner rather than later. Still, there are mechanical things he must clean up before he's able to beat out one of Detroit's starters.

Ennis Rakestraw Jr. Highlights - Welcome to the Detroit Lions pic.twitter.com/PgP9EkcaSt

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