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Ennis Rakestraw Jr. is no longer talking about potential.
He is talking about responsibility.
The Detroit Lions cornerback entered the NFL as a second-round pick with the confidence and physical style to become a long-term piece of the secondary. Two injury-disrupted seasons later, Rakestraw understands that patience is beginning to run thin.
“I’m eager because a lot of things have happened off the field,” Rakestraw said following Tuesday’s training camp practice. “I have to step up in a big way this year.
“I have to do it for my last name and for the Lions’ name.”
Those are not the words of a player treating 2026 like another developmental season.
Rakestraw knows this is his opportunity to change the story.
Detroit selected Rakestraw with the No. 61 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, expecting the former Missouri standout to bring toughness, press coverage ability and positional flexibility to the secondary.
His first two seasons never gave him a real chance to establish himself.
Rakestraw appeared in only eight games as a rookie while dealing with core muscle and hamstring problems. A serious shoulder injury suffered during the following training camp required surgery and kept him out for the entire 2025 season. He entered this summer with only 46 career defensive snaps.
Football was not simply interrupted. It was taken away.
“It didn’t change my hunger because I’m in Detroit for one reason,” Rakestraw said. “I never imagined being in Detroit without football.
“When I’m here and I can’t play, I think, ‘I’m here for football, and I can’t play it.’ It puts a bad taste in your mouth.
“The only thing you can do is figure out what you’re going to do to get out of it.”
That frustration now fuels every practice.
Rakestraw once allowed himself to think about the bigger picture. Starting jobs. Full seasons. Long-term goals.
His injuries forced him to shrink that timeline.
“For me, it’s day by day,” Rakestraw said. “I’ve been injured a few times, so I’m focused on today.
“Once I make it through today’s practice, I go to the meetings, see what I need to correct tomorrow and do what I need to do after that. Then I make it through the next practice.
“I’ve changed my mindset from thinking long term to thinking short term. The long-term results will eventually come.
“Right now, I’m healthy today. I pray, thank God and then go fix what I need to fix tomorrow.”
That approach sounds simple. For Rakestraw, it is survival.
The Lions spent the offseason helping him strengthen his frame, particularly around the shoulder and neck area. He reported to offseason work near 197 pounds before settling into camp around 192, a range he believes allows him to maintain strength without sacrificing movement. Detroit’s coaches have repeatedly said the opportunity is available if he can remain healthy.
“I bulked up, but once you get into your training camp body, you begin slimming down a little,” Rakestraw said. “I’m back around 192 pounds, which is where I want to be.”
Rakestraw’s urgency is not only personal.
The Lions’ cornerback room changed dramatically before camp when Detroit released Terrion Arnold amid his serious legal situation. D.J. Reed and Rock Ya-Sin have emerged as the leading outside options, while Rakestraw has worked both outside and at nickel as the coaching staff searches for its best combination.
“The nickel position is beginning to pick up for me,” Rakestraw said. “I’m getting better every day.
“I may make a mistake early, but then I fix it and correct it. All Coach can do is tell me what mistake I made.
“Then I tell myself not to make it again the next day and to keep growing. That’s all I can do.”
Detroit does not need Rakestraw to be flawless in August.
It needs him available, accountable and improving.
That is especially true for a player trying to earn trust after spending more time rehabbing than playing during his first two seasons.
Rakestraw also acknowledged that his reputation has become part of the fight.
“Sometimes I receive a bad reputation in the media,” he said. “I also have to do it for my teammates because they depend on me.
“They see the work I put in. There are a lot of things people on the outside don’t see.
“I have to put everything together so that, when it’s time to show it, I can.”
The only way to change an NFL reputation is on the field.
Fans do not see every rehabilitation session. They do not see every meeting, weight-room session or late-night treatment. They see games played, snaps taken and plays made.
Rakestraw knows that.
His words were not a demand for sympathy. They sounded more like an acceptance of the standard.
He has to show it.
One of Rakestraw’s best measuring sticks is waiting across from him every day.
Jameson Williams can punish one false step with his speed, making him a demanding matchup for any cornerback. Rakestraw described their recent training camp battle as exactly what he needs.
“It helps me a lot,” Rakestraw said. “In a game, you aren’t going to win every repetition, and you aren’t going to lose every repetition.
“It’s about competing for the football. He won one, and then I got a punch-out.
“We both keep getting better. He’ll improve on protecting against the punch-out, and I’ll improve on defending the fade.
“You just keep getting better. That’s all I can do.”
That exchange captures the mindset Rakestraw is trying to build.
Lose a rep. Learn from it. Answer on the next one.
“As a defensive back, you’re going to get beaten,” Rakestraw said. “It has to be short term.
“If I go out there still thinking about what happened on the previous play, it can happen again and again, and then bad things can follow.
“I have a next-play mentality with everything I do in my life now.”
Rakestraw is not satisfied with simply limiting completions.
He wants to attack the football after the catch and become a source of takeaways for Kelvin Sheppard’s defense.
“I’ve always been a punch-out guy, but I have to increase it here,” Rakestraw said. “We need more turnovers.
“They’re going to catch the football, and once they’re looking toward the next level and trying to score, somebody can come from behind and punch it out.
“In my opinion, that’s just as important as forcing an incompletion.”
Detroit recorded 13 interceptions last season, but only four came from its cornerbacks. The Lions also ranked near the bottom of the league in red-zone opponent passer rating, creating a clear need for more disruptive plays from the secondary.
Rakestraw’s physical style fits that mission.
Now he must consistently stay on the field long enough to deliver it.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. understands what is at stake.
His first two NFL seasons were defined by injuries, missed opportunities and questions about when Detroit would finally see the player it drafted in the second round.
He is healthy now. He is learning the nickel position, competing outside and attacking each practice with a shorter, more focused mindset.
“I have to step up in a big way this year.”
Rakestraw does not need anyone to explain the pressure. He feels it every day.
For his family name. For the Lions’ name. For teammates who have watched him work when nobody else was looking.
The opportunity is finally here.
Now he has to stay healthy and take it.
Continue reading...
He is talking about responsibility.
The Detroit Lions cornerback entered the NFL as a second-round pick with the confidence and physical style to become a long-term piece of the secondary. Two injury-disrupted seasons later, Rakestraw understands that patience is beginning to run thin.
“I’m eager because a lot of things have happened off the field,” Rakestraw said following Tuesday’s training camp practice. “I have to step up in a big way this year.
“I have to do it for my last name and for the Lions’ name.”
Those are not the words of a player treating 2026 like another developmental season.
Rakestraw knows this is his opportunity to change the story.
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Injuries Have Kept Rakestraw From Building Momentum
Detroit selected Rakestraw with the No. 61 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, expecting the former Missouri standout to bring toughness, press coverage ability and positional flexibility to the secondary.
His first two seasons never gave him a real chance to establish himself.
Rakestraw appeared in only eight games as a rookie while dealing with core muscle and hamstring problems. A serious shoulder injury suffered during the following training camp required surgery and kept him out for the entire 2025 season. He entered this summer with only 46 career defensive snaps.
Football was not simply interrupted. It was taken away.
“It didn’t change my hunger because I’m in Detroit for one reason,” Rakestraw said. “I never imagined being in Detroit without football.
“When I’m here and I can’t play, I think, ‘I’m here for football, and I can’t play it.’ It puts a bad taste in your mouth.
“The only thing you can do is figure out what you’re going to do to get out of it.”
That frustration now fuels every practice.
Rakestraw Has Changed How He Approaches Each Day
Rakestraw once allowed himself to think about the bigger picture. Starting jobs. Full seasons. Long-term goals.
His injuries forced him to shrink that timeline.
“For me, it’s day by day,” Rakestraw said. “I’ve been injured a few times, so I’m focused on today.
“Once I make it through today’s practice, I go to the meetings, see what I need to correct tomorrow and do what I need to do after that. Then I make it through the next practice.
“I’ve changed my mindset from thinking long term to thinking short term. The long-term results will eventually come.
“Right now, I’m healthy today. I pray, thank God and then go fix what I need to fix tomorrow.”
That approach sounds simple. For Rakestraw, it is survival.
The Lions spent the offseason helping him strengthen his frame, particularly around the shoulder and neck area. He reported to offseason work near 197 pounds before settling into camp around 192, a range he believes allows him to maintain strength without sacrificing movement. Detroit’s coaches have repeatedly said the opportunity is available if he can remain healthy.
“I bulked up, but once you get into your training camp body, you begin slimming down a little,” Rakestraw said. “I’m back around 192 pounds, which is where I want to be.”
Detroit Needs Rakestraw to Turn Preparation Into Production
Rakestraw’s urgency is not only personal.
The Lions’ cornerback room changed dramatically before camp when Detroit released Terrion Arnold amid his serious legal situation. D.J. Reed and Rock Ya-Sin have emerged as the leading outside options, while Rakestraw has worked both outside and at nickel as the coaching staff searches for its best combination.
“The nickel position is beginning to pick up for me,” Rakestraw said. “I’m getting better every day.
“I may make a mistake early, but then I fix it and correct it. All Coach can do is tell me what mistake I made.
“Then I tell myself not to make it again the next day and to keep growing. That’s all I can do.”
Detroit does not need Rakestraw to be flawless in August.
It needs him available, accountable and improving.
That is especially true for a player trying to earn trust after spending more time rehabbing than playing during his first two seasons.
“Sometimes I Receive a Bad Reputation”
Rakestraw also acknowledged that his reputation has become part of the fight.
“Sometimes I receive a bad reputation in the media,” he said. “I also have to do it for my teammates because they depend on me.
“They see the work I put in. There are a lot of things people on the outside don’t see.
“I have to put everything together so that, when it’s time to show it, I can.”
The only way to change an NFL reputation is on the field.
Fans do not see every rehabilitation session. They do not see every meeting, weight-room session or late-night treatment. They see games played, snaps taken and plays made.
Rakestraw knows that.
His words were not a demand for sympathy. They sounded more like an acceptance of the standard.
He has to show it.
Jameson Williams Is Helping Test Rakestraw’s Mentality
One of Rakestraw’s best measuring sticks is waiting across from him every day.
Jameson Williams can punish one false step with his speed, making him a demanding matchup for any cornerback. Rakestraw described their recent training camp battle as exactly what he needs.
“It helps me a lot,” Rakestraw said. “In a game, you aren’t going to win every repetition, and you aren’t going to lose every repetition.
“It’s about competing for the football. He won one, and then I got a punch-out.
“We both keep getting better. He’ll improve on protecting against the punch-out, and I’ll improve on defending the fade.
“You just keep getting better. That’s all I can do.”
That exchange captures the mindset Rakestraw is trying to build.
Lose a rep. Learn from it. Answer on the next one.
“As a defensive back, you’re going to get beaten,” Rakestraw said. “It has to be short term.
“If I go out there still thinking about what happened on the previous play, it can happen again and again, and then bad things can follow.
“I have a next-play mentality with everything I do in my life now.”
Rakestraw Wants to Become a Turnover Creator
Rakestraw is not satisfied with simply limiting completions.
He wants to attack the football after the catch and become a source of takeaways for Kelvin Sheppard’s defense.
“I’ve always been a punch-out guy, but I have to increase it here,” Rakestraw said. “We need more turnovers.
“They’re going to catch the football, and once they’re looking toward the next level and trying to score, somebody can come from behind and punch it out.
“In my opinion, that’s just as important as forcing an incompletion.”
Detroit recorded 13 interceptions last season, but only four came from its cornerbacks. The Lions also ranked near the bottom of the league in red-zone opponent passer rating, creating a clear need for more disruptive plays from the secondary.
Rakestraw’s physical style fits that mission.
Now he must consistently stay on the field long enough to deliver it.
Bottom Line
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. understands what is at stake.
His first two NFL seasons were defined by injuries, missed opportunities and questions about when Detroit would finally see the player it drafted in the second round.
He is healthy now. He is learning the nickel position, competing outside and attacking each practice with a shorter, more focused mindset.
“I have to step up in a big way this year.”
Rakestraw does not need anyone to explain the pressure. He feels it every day.
For his family name. For the Lions’ name. For teammates who have watched him work when nobody else was looking.
The opportunity is finally here.
Now he has to stay healthy and take it.
Continue reading...
