Detroit Lions select cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. with No. 61 pick in NFL draft

DETROIT – The Detroit Lions have selected the University of Missouri Tigers cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. with the No. 61 pick in the second round of the NFL draft.

Rakestraw Jr. is a physical corner who is very competitive, a recipe that Lions head coach Dan Campbell will love in Honolulu Blue.

The 5′11″ 183-pound redshirt junior played in nine games with eight starts, where he accumulated 35 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and four pass breakups before missing four games due to a groin injury.

Rakestraw Jr. will now join the secondary of rookie classmate Terrion Arnold, who the Lions took at pick No. 24, Carlton Davis, Amik Robertson, and Emmanuel Moseley.

The Lions and their fanbase are still riding the wave of winning their first divisional championship in 1993.

Their legendary run of 2023 provided their first home postseason victory since 1991, when they not only took out Matthew Stafford and his Los Angeles Rams but also defeated Davis and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers to advance to their first NFC Championship game since 1992.

Although they fell short of reaching their first Super Bowl in franchise history against the San Francisco 49ers, the atmosphere in the Motor City has been palpable as expectations are now through the rough of Ford Field.

With the draft coming to Detroit for the first time in the event’s existence, Campus Martius and Hart Plaza had the city a buzz, and the SELECTED PLAYER could feel the roar of One Pride.

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