Daisy Dukes and Ennis: Meet Ennis Rakestraw JR. Lions Seond Rounder

[Forsh]

https://theathletic.com/5313380/2024/03/04/lions-combine-wide-receivers-defense/

This is from March. He writes about a lot of prospects, but check out number 15 and 16 topics on his list. Kinda crazy

[whatever_gong82]

https://theathletic.com/5313380/2024...ivers-defense/

This is from March. He writes about a lot of prospects, but check out number 15 and 16 topics on his list. Kinda crazy

15. Glenn and Holmes believe you have to be wired a certain way to play cornerback. I’ve heard them talk about it for two years now. Just my two cents, but after hearing Arnold and Rakestraw talk, you can tell they fit the description. Arnold talked about getting benched in 2022 after a game against Tennessee. He called it his “Michael Jordan moment.” He wrote it down every day. He said he refused to ever let it happen again, and that it motivates him to wear a gold jacket one day. I loved it. A dawg of the highest order.



16. Rakestraw, a lightly recruited high school prospect before blowing up as a senior, talked about silently committing to Alabama, before ultimately telling Nick Saban no. He said he wanted to go to a program that wasn’t already established, so he could help turn it into a winner. In his final season at Missouri, Rakestraw helped the Tigers go 11-2 and finish with a top-10 ranking. He often highlighted his physicality and willingness to tackle during his media session, something that sets him apart when comparing corners in this class. Remember what Townsend said about tackling?

Rakestraw certainly can. The question will be whether he improves on a 4.51 40 time he ran with a bad groin. He expects to improve that time at his March 22 pro day. The tape is there, and so is the mentality.

Right on the nose with 15 & 16.

[jaadam4]

YES!! This is fucking awesome! We just flipped our absolute worst position on the entire team in one offseason to what looks like will be an absolute strength. Rookie CBs will take a minute so that makes our FA acquisitions all that more important.

If you'd have told any of us a few weeks ago that we could end up with Arnold AND Rakestraw in this draft no one would have believed it. Holmes just changed our biggest need with tons of talent and depth.

And let this sink in. The CB position is the reason we didn't make the Super Bowl.

[froot loops]

My prediction is Holmes is going to say something like they had a high first round grade on him and were overjoyed when he was available at 61. Rakestraw had early buzz to the Lions at 29.

[chemiclord]

I dunno if he'll say what specific grade they had for him, but he'll definitely say that Rakestraw was the best guy on their board at #61, which probably won't even be a lie. CBs dropped hard in this draft.

[whatever_gong82]

Here's Mr. Holmes' press conference from last night:

[Mainevent]

Another good pick and another good fit. I wanted them to double up on DB last year (and still think they should have) so no issues really. I don’t love that this almost certainly turns Davis into a 1 year rental at the cost of a top 100 pick. If it gets them to a SB you can live with it. But never a fan of giving up real draft assets for temporary players.

[chemiclord]

I wouldn't assume Davis is a rental at all. Even if both Arnold and Rakestraw wind up ready to be starters by Year 2, there is plenty enough versatility among all the dudes on that depth chart that three of them could co-exist, especially if Branch winds up being that Swiss-army knife between nickel and safety like the Lions want him to be.

[whatever_gong82]

[jaadam4]

I wouldn't assume Davis is a rental at all. Even if both Arnold and Rakestraw wind up ready to be starters by Year 2, there is plenty enough versatility among all the dudes on that depth chart that three of them could co-exist, especially if Branch winds up being that Swiss-army knife between nickel and safety like the Lions want him to be.

Davis is an established NFL CB. Hell he’s a CB1 for that matter. I wouldn’t think he’s a rental at all. With 2 potential good CB’s on rookie deals it give us cap flexibility for a few years until we figure out what we have with them

[Mainevent]

It’s not about fit with Davis. He’s going to be looking for his last big contract. The Lions just spent 3 draft picks on 2 guys they had as their top 2 CBs in the draft. Paying Davis a sizable deal when you have other big contracts coming due doesn’t make a lot of sense. He’s going to want to be a starter and get starter money.

[Mainevent]

If you have to wait a “few years” to figure out if the CBs you just drafted in the first two rounds are any good, here’s a news flash - they aren’t.

[whatever_gong82]

If you have to wait a “few years” to figure out if the CBs you just drafted in the first two rounds are any good, here’s a news flash - they aren’t.

I agree to a point with your assessment, Mainevent.

However, remember this: Even Darius Slay struggled a lot when he came into the NFL with the Detroit Lions a little over a decade ago. Through practice, coaching, and his own motivation, he got better and should've still been here (along with Diggs - another low round pick that former Lions GM Martin Mayhew actually was good at finding most of the time) when the pencil-in-the-ear fool who shall not be named sent them both away from the team when that fool was the Head Coach here.

With the new coaches that are on staff now, we'll see how these 2 selections of Brad Holmes will turn out in the months and years to come.

[Mainevent]

Slay emerged as a legit NFL CB in his 2nd year after a rough rookie season. He didn’t start getting the pro-bowl and all-pro nods until a couple of seaons after, but it didn’t take him long to prove he belonged.

[Mainevent]

If they are intent on keeping Davis, the smart thing to do would be to offer him an extension now for maybe 2 years with a nice chunk of guaranteed money. Not sure he’d take it at this point. Of course that has its risks too, if he plays more like the guy from last year than the guy from TB’s Super Bowl run. My guess is based on his level of self confidence he wants to hit the FA market again.