The Detroit Lions have no shortage of competition in the secondary, and head coach Dan Campbell just added a twist to the summer storyline. Speaking before the end of OTAs, Campbell laid out the team’s plans for second-year cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr., and it’s not what many expected.
TL;DR
- Dan Campbell says Rakestraw will start off competing on the outside, not in the slot.
- Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed are penciled in as starters, making Rakestraw a backup for now.
- Deshea Townsend confirmed the plan to give Rakestraw a shot at outside corner last month.
- While Amik Robertson may hold down the slot again, the Lions would be smart to cross-train Rakestraw as insurance.
Rakestraw Staying on the Outside — For Now
Despite speculation that Ennis Rakestraw Jr. would slide inside to nickel corner in 2025, Campbell shut that down quickly during his media availability this week.
“He’s gonna have a chance to compete. We’d like to keep him outside right now and just let him go,” Campbell told Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News.
That aligns with what defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend said earlier this offseason, when he confirmed the team was planning to start Rakestraw’s second year with outside reps.
“We’re letting Ennis focus on playing outside cornerback,” Townsend told Detroit Football Network’s Justin Rogers.
Rakestraw Faces an Uphill Climb
Here’s the challenge: Detroit’s boundary cornerback spots are stacked.
With Terrion Arnold, the Lions’ 2024 first-rounder, expected to take a second-year leap, and free-agent signing D.J. Reed bringing veteran savvy, Rakestraw’s path to a starting role on the outside is murky.
Campbell acknowledged as much:
“If he’s the best guy, he’ll play.”
But let’s be honest — it would take a major drop-off from Arnold or Reed in camp or early-season games for Rakestraw to leapfrog either of them on the depth chart.
What About the Slot?
With the outside off-limits for now, many assumed Rakestraw would be a natural fit to challenge Amik Robertson for slot duties. After all, Robertson thrived there in 2024, and Brian Branch is expected to play mostly at safety.
But with Rakestraw focused solely on the outside, Robertson looks like the early favorite to hold his 2024 role, especially now that Dan Campbell has stated the plan.
That said, with Rakestraw’s rookie season cut short by injury (he played just eight games and recorded six total tackles), it makes sense the Lions want to give him a clean slate and a chance to earn reps at his natural position.
Still, it’d be wise for the coaching staff to at least give him some work inside — just in case.
The Bottom Line
Ennis Rakestraw isn’t being buried — he’s being developed. The Detroit Lions believe in his potential and want to see what he can do when fully healthy, back at the spot he played in college.
But with the cornerback depth chart crowded, the second-year DB will have to show serious progress in camp if he wants to earn snaps in 2025. Slot reps might not be the plan right now, but if the injury bug hits or if Robertson stumbles, don’t be surprised if Rakestraw gets a crash course at nickel before September.
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