Ennis Rakestraw Jr.

Career StatsD+

Year	Team	GP	INT	PD	Tkl
Career		8	—	—	6
2025		1	0	0	1
2024		8	0	0	6

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Performance versus salary tier earns Ennis Rakestraw Jr. a D+ Contract Value Index, with cap structure shaping the verdict. At $1.8M AAV on a four-year rookie scale deal, Rakestraw's contract itself is extraordinarily affordable—well below market for a starting cornerback—but the CVI reflects the complete disconnect between his compensation and what he's actually delivered on the field. His 2025 season produced a single tackle across one game before shoulder surgery ended his year entirely, leaving him with a blank statistical ledger at the professional level and zero tangible evidence he can stay healthy or contribute at an NFL caliber. At 24 years old and in his second professional season, Rakestraw still possesses time to develop, yet the Lions' recent cornerback additions and the media narrative of "dangerous waters" and "cautious skepticism" suggest the organization is actively hedging against his durability and readiness. The rookie deal structure keeps his cap hit negligible, which is the only saving grace here—the contract itself is a bargain if he produces, but the value proposition collapses entirely when the player can't take the field. Unless 2026 brings a dramatic health turnaround and genuine on-field contributions, this deal will serve as a cautionary example of draft capital spent on a player who couldn't establish a professional baseline before injury derailed his trajectory.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the D band — a quick read on where Ennis's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Ennis Rakestraw Jr. is a second-year cornerback for the Detroit Lions, a 2024 draft prospect still finding his footing at the NFL level. At just 24, he carries legitimate developmental upside, but the on-field results have yet to reflect his pre-draft pedigree. His current D+ grade tells the story of a player still caught between potential and production. The most glaring concern is his tackling presence, logging just 1.00 tackles per game against an NFL average of 3.00 and an elite benchmark of 5.00. That gap isn't marginal — it signals limited snaps, missed assignments, or both. His grades have trended from an F in 2024 to a D in 2025, which represents incremental progress, though the ceiling remains distant. Rakestraw's trajectory mirrors early-career corners like Greedy Williams or Kindle Vildor — players with coverage tools who needed time and opportunity to develop consistency. Detroit's defensive depth has limited his exposure, which makes evaluation genuinely difficult at this stage. If he earns a larger role in 2026, the next 16 games will be the most revealing of his young career.

How Ennis Compares at the Position

Ennis Rakestraw Jr. ranks 185th of 270 graded cornerbacks by performance. That slots Ennis between Jahdae Barron (D+) just ahead and Jordan Hancock (D+) just behind.

Current Sentiment

Ennis Rakestraw Jr. faces mounting skepticism entering the 2026 season, earning a concerning D- sentiment grade that reflects serious doubts about his NFL trajectory. The former second-round pick has become a cautionary tale about durability, missing 26 of 34 possible games due to injuries including a lost season from shoulder surgery. His complete absence from the stat sheet—zero interceptions and zero pass deflections—combined with Detroit's decision to sign Roger McCreary signals organizational uncertainty about his readiness to contribute. While veteran Rock Ya-Sin has voiced support for Rakestraw's potential and there's acknowledgment his "window is wide open" for 2026, the media narrative centers on whether he can overcome his injury-plagued start to justify his draft capital. The Lions appear to be hedging their bets at cornerback, and Rakestraw's reputation has shifted from promising prospect to question mark who must prove he can stay healthy before demonstrating any on-field impact.