It’s NFL draft season and as teams around the league start preparing to head down to Mobile, Alabama for the Reese’s Senior Bowl, the guy that created the craze surrounding the leadup to event just released his first mock.
Mel Kiper is the gold standard for draft evaluation, and the legend from Baltimore just revealed his first mock draft of the spring.
With Marlon Humphrey battling injuries, and Brandon Stephens playing out of position, Kiper has the Ravens selecting All-SEC cornerback, Ennis Rakestraw Jr. out of Missouri.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr., CB, Missouri
The Ravens’ defense has been spectacular this season, but defensive tackles Justin Madubuike and Michael Pierce, edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, linebacker Patrick Queen and safety Geno Stone are all set to be free agents this offseason. While they’re likely to bring back a couple of these players and might have young replacements on their roster for others, I see a banged-up cornerback group that could use more depth.
Rakestraw would make six cornerbacks off the board in Round 1, which would be the most since the 2020 draft. He has the versatility to play out wide or in the slot. He had just one interception in four college seasons, but he did have 24 career pass breakups, so he knows how to get his hands on throws. I like Rakestraw’s fit in Baltimore.
Rakestraw, considered a top-five cornerback prospect in the 2024 NFL draft by ESPN’s Matt Miller and Field Yates, also missed the Tigers’ win over Arkansas to close out the regular season due to an undisclosed injury.
He finished his career with 24 pass breakups, an interception, and two forced fumbles.
