Ennis Rakestraw entered Monday night’s Detroit Lions scrimmage needing something positive to happen.
The former second-round pick had watched his standing in Detroit’s secondary slip during training camp, struggled in the preseason opener against Cincinnati and found himself working primarily with the second-team defense. With Nick Whiteside emerging as one of the surprises of camp and other young defensive backs pushing for opportunities, Rakestraw’s margin for error was getting smaller.
Then Monday happened.
Rakestraw delivered easily one of his best performances of the summer, showing the physicality, instincts and playmaking ability the Lions believed they were getting when they selected him No. 61 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. It was only one practice, but for a player fighting to change the direction of his camp, it was an important one.
Rakestraw Wasted No Time Making His Presence Felt
Rakestraw announced himself immediately during the scrimmage. On his first snap, he aggressively attacked the line of scrimmage and delivered a strong hit on running back Jacob Saylors. One play later, he came off the corner on a blitz and dropped Saylors for a loss.
That physicality has always been a major part of Rakestraw’s game, particularly dating back to his days at Missouri.
“That’s just going back to college, playing the boundary,” Rakestraw said after Monday’s scrimmage. “Gotta put it on tape so they can believe it.”
That last sentence probably tells you everything about where Rakestraw is right now.
Detroit knows what he believes he can do. The Lions saw enough toughness and coverage ability in college to spend a second-round pick on him. But after two injury-plagued seasons and an uneven start to his third training camp, Rakestraw understands that reputation and draft status are no longer enough.
He needs evidence.
Monday gave him some.
Rakestraw Finally Gets the Interception He Needed
The highlight came later against Detroit’s second-team offense.
Rakestraw blitzed from the corner and got into Luke Altmyer’s throwing lane, leaping to knock down a pass. Two plays later, Ahmed Hassanein created pressure before Christian Izien got a hand on another Altmyer throw. The ball popped into the air, and Rakestraw stayed with it long enough to secure the interception.
His celebration afterward showed how much the play meant.
“I needed it. I needed a pick this camp,” Rakestraw said. “I saw Izzy got a little bobble, so I’m like, hey man, I finna grab this, and then we started bobbling it on the ground and I kept concentration on it and I caught it.”
The interception was only part of his night. Rakestraw later broke up a short pass intended for Malik Cunningham and continued showing the aggressive run support that has always been central to his game. He even stepped up to stop veteran tight end Tyler Conklin on a swing pass despite giving away significant size in the matchup.
That is the version of Rakestraw Detroit needs to see more often.
One Good Night Doesn’t Erase a Difficult Camp
It would be easy to overreact in the other direction and declare Monday the moment Rakestraw completely turned things around.
He still has work to do.
Rakestraw began camp with an opportunity to compete for significant playing time on the outside, but Rock Ya-Sin solidified his position while Whiteside climbed past Rakestraw on the depth chart. As recently as Monday afternoon, one 53-man roster projection had Rakestraw firmly on the hot seat, noting that his limited NFL tape made his remaining preseason opportunities especially important.
His preseason opener did not help.
Rakestraw received a 29.3 overall PFF grade against Cincinnati, the lowest mark among Lions players in the game. He strongly disagreed with that evaluation and publicly pushed back against the grade.
He also briefly left that game after taking contact while making a tackle. Considering his injury history, seeing Rakestraw leave another football game immediately created concern, but testing revealed only a contusion and he was able to return to practice. The favorable diagnosis was especially important after Rakestraw missed all of the 2025 season because of a shoulder injury.
Monday was not the end of that story. It was a much-needed better chapter.
Rakestraw Knows Where He Wants to Play
The Lions have experimented with Rakestraw in different spots during his young career, but there is little doubt where he feels most comfortable.
“Definitely on the outside,” Rakestraw said when asked where he prefers to play. “You’re by yourself, you gotta step up to the challenge. That’s what you want. That’s who get paid the most anyway.”
Detroit appears to agree that outside corner is his best fit.
The problem is finding enough snaps.
D.J. Reed and Ya-Sin currently sit ahead of him, while Whiteside’s impressive camp has created another obstacle. Whiteside is temporarily sidelined with a minor hamstring injury, however, giving Rakestraw another opportunity to reclaim some ground.
His physical transformation was designed for exactly that challenge. Rakestraw spent the offseason adding muscle to his upper body after injuries dominated his first two NFL seasons. Detroit’s coaching staff noticed the change during minicamp, with defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend saying Rakestraw had added noticeable mass and strength around his shoulders and neck. The Lions’ own offseason evaluation noted that he missed 26 games during his first two seasons, making availability the biggest priority entering 2026. (Detroit Lions)
Now he has to turn that stronger body into consistent football.
Rakestraw Is Fighting His Way Back
Perhaps the most revealing part of Rakestraw’s night was how he talked about his situation afterward.
There was no complaining about the depth chart or asking anyone to feel sorry for him. After missing so much football, he understands there is only one way to earn his opportunities back.
“Day by day. Ups and downs. Now I just gotta keep showing,” Rakestraw said. “It is what it is. Nobody’s gonna feel sorry for me. So just take it on the back, watch it, thick skin, get better. That’s all you can do.”
That approach will matter because Monday’s interception alone will not secure his roster spot or move him permanently back into the starting rotation.
But it can be a beginning.
“Man, it’s just one step,” Rakestraw said. “And now that I got my hand on the ball, more will come.”
The Lions certainly hope he is right.
Bottom Line
Ennis Rakestraw needed a night like this.
After an inconsistent camp, a slide down the depth chart and another frustrating preseason performance, the third-year corner finally put together the type of practice that reminds everyone why Detroit invested a second-round pick in him.
He tackled. He blitzed. He broke up passes. He intercepted one. Most importantly, he played with the physical confidence that defined him coming out of Missouri.
None of that guarantees anything.
Rakestraw still has to stack good practices together and carry that performance into Detroit’s remaining preseason games. The competition behind Reed and Ya-Sin remains crowded, and his draft status can only protect him for so long.
Rakestraw understands that better than anyone.
He said he needed to put it on tape so people could believe it.
On Monday night, he finally did.