Ennis Rakestraw Jr. Is Beginning To Make The Lions’ Trade Deadline Difficult
The Lions have a cornerback problem — but Ennis Rakestraw Jr. is making Brad Holmes think twice before trading.
Per SideLion Report published today Oct 30, Rakestraw is among the best CBs with at least 80 snaps at preventing separation and elite at disrupting receiver’s hands when ball arrives. Injuries derailed his first two seasons, but he’s played every game since Week 3 this year.
Stats back it up: Out of Lions DBs with at least 100 snaps, Rakestraw has second-best passer rating allowed at 76.4, behind only rookie Keith Abney II (76.0) per NextGen Stats. DJ Reed, starting outside, has been exposed regularly — 140.6 passer rating allowed, only nine players worse in NFL.
Lions secondary is getting healthier: Brian Branch returned vs Packers, Kerby Joseph back at practice Wednesday opening 21-day window. But CB is still murky. Rock Ya-Sin benched, Reed struggling, yet Rakestraw’s length and youth — traits rest of room lacks — gives Detroit a potential future CB1. He has just 10 total career games, still essentially a rookie on field.
The dilemma: Super Bowl window is now, Lions can’t wait two more years for Rakestraw to hit peak. Deadline is Nov 10 at 4pm EST, after Vikings and Dolphins games. Holmes is still looking at Sauce Gardner, Charvarius Ward, Kool-Aid McKinstry — but Rakestraw makes it difficult to bury him for a rental.
Mabel Joshua is the founder and lead editor of CelebrityTale.com with 4+ years covering celebrity news, entertainment trends and pop culture. She curates breaking stories with verified sources, focusing on real-time updates from Hollywood, music and lifestyle. When not reporting, she tracks emerging talents and viral moments across social platforms.
