The Detroit Lions are holding their breath after watching a key piece to their secondary go down with an injury during the team's latest practice. According to Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network, third-year cornerback Ennis Rakestraw left practice on Thursday after suffering a non-contact, lower leg injury. He did add that Rakestraw was able to walk to the locker room under his own power, though.
Rakestraw, 24, was selected with the No. 61 overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Lions. However, the start to his NFL career has been battered with injuries. As a rookie, he played in just eight games due to hamstring and core muscle injuries, recording six total tackles, and then last season, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury that required surgery, ending his sophomore campaign before it even began.
Rakestraw looked ready to finally live up to the expectations that come with being a second-round pick, but his latest injury hints his bad lucky has continued into 2026. If Rakestraw's diagnosis is for the worse, the Lions will once again have to pivot away from the once highly-regarded cornerback for other options in D.J. Reed, Rock Ya-Sin, Nick Whiteside, Khalil Dorsey and Keith Abney II.
A native of Dallas, Texas, Rakestraw played college football at Missouri, where he recorded 107 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles, 24 passes defensed and one interception from 2020-23.
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