Ennis Rakestraw is the newest Detroit Lions cornerback, joining the team one round after the Lions selected fellow SEC CB Terrion Arnold from Alabama in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
The two didn’t know each other until the draft process began. In fact, the Lions had the duo come in for their pre-draft visits together. While they primarily play the same outside CB with aggressive physicality, they do it in divergent mindsets.
General manager Brad Holmes noted the different personalities in his first two picks. They’re both confident and physical, but they approach the game from different backgrounds and personality types.
“Yeah, so first of all, going to Terrion I know we talked about just the personality and just big energy, big personality, very, very confident,” Holmes said before Rakestraw’s interview with the local media. “Ennis is actually different. You feel the confidence. Me and (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) sitting there and talking to him, I just kind of felt ‘dog’ exuding out of him, just a lot more quiet, just kind of to the point and to the business, not as loud and vocal and vivid personality like Terrion was.
Holmes continued,
“And again, that’s how all these kids are. There’s – it’s actually a really fun process where all of them are asked a lot of the same questions and you get these different answers. They’re all different personalities. But Terrion and Ennis, both of them you really felt like, ‘OK, these guys fit who we’re about. These guys fit our culture.’
Rakestraw might not be as outwardly confident or loquacious as his new teammate, but he’s quick to point out his leadership and intensity.
“I call myself the ‘Tone-setter.’ My defense used to call me the firecracker of the team, because yeah, I’m a corner, but I’ll come up and set that edge,” Rakestraw said. “I’ll hit you like a linebacker and I just let my presence be felt every play that I’m out there.”
