NFL draft grades: Detroit Lions receive A's and B's for Ennis Rakestraw Jr. pick

You can never have enough cornerbacks.

That's the mindset of the Detroit Lions and general manager Brad Holmes so far in the 2024 NFL draft hosted in Detroit. Holmes aggressively moved up to select Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold in the first round on Thursday, then followed it up Friday by staying put and selecting Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. at 61 overall in the second round.

The Lions didn't have to move around to find their guy on Friday, as the board shook out in a way that allowed one of Holmes' top-graded player to drop and be available at the end of the second round. Rakestraw is a hard-hitting cornerback known for his toughness and ability to play against the run while dealing with two different leg injuries during his college career.

MEET THE NEW GUY: Lions NFL draft pick Ennis Rakestraw is the definition of a late bloomer

Much like Arnold, Rakestraw will bring a fresh level of toughness and willingness to get his hands dirty in the Lions' secondary, which ranked near the bottom of the NFL in 2023.

The Lions only made the one selection on Friday after trading away their third round pick in the deal to move up for Arnold, meaning Detroit has added just the two cornerbacks in the draft so far.

No one turned their nose up at the Lions' decision to double down at cornerback and take Rakestraw. He plays with an edge and can hold his own in tight man coverage, something the Lions' feature frequently, and was described as another tone-setting pick for the Lions.

Here are the grades from national analysts on the Rakestraw pick for the Lions, as well as the one from in-house:

Detroit Free Press: B

Columnist Carlos Monarrez rated the Rakestraw pick as a B and said he loved the decision to double down at cornerback.

"If there was any question about the most glaring position of need, it's gone, after the Lions spent their first two picks on cornerbacks," Monarrez wrote. "I love Brad Holmes’ unflinching commitment to strengthening such a weak position."

Click the link for the full breakdown.

USA TODAY: B+

USA TODAY approved of the Rakestraw selection and said the Lions have no excuse now to have an underachieving secondary again after massively addressing the weakness.

"Detroit follows up its first-round selection of Terrion Arnold with another aggressive cornerback," Michael Middlehusrt-Schwartz wrote. "Few would have blinked had the Lions gone this route on Day 1, and Rakestraw's tackling should earn him the admiration of Dan Campbell. No more excuses for this secondary to underachieve."

CBS Sports: B

CBS Sports rated the Rakestraw selection as a B. They said Rakestraw's physicality and gritty playstyle is a plus, but athleticism and size are a concern.

"Chippy, in-your-face inside-out cornerback with good, not great athletic gifts," Chris Trapasso wrote. "Plant-and-drive skills can be borderline special. Hit or miss as a tackler but the hits are huge thumping hits. Reasonable ball skills and will play the football aggressively. Size and length a concern."

The Athletic: A-minus

The Lions received nearly a perfect grade from the Athletic, who rated the Rakestraw pick as an a-minus. They said Detroit was aggressive in filling the team's biggest need in the secondary, while mentioning Rakestraw's groin injury that limited him in 2023.

"Detroit’s primary weakness entering the draft was cornerback," Scott Dochterman wrote. "The Lions were aggressive in addressing it with a pair of quality cornerbacks in the first and second rounds. Here, the Lions snagged aggressive Ennis Rakestraw Jr., who had 24 career passes defended in 36 games at Missouri. Rakestraw (5-11, 183) missed four games last year with a groin injury."

Yahoo! Sports: B

Yahoo approved the pick with a passing B grade, and mentioned that Rakestraw doesn't have the same size or speed as other top cornerback prospects in the class.

"The Lions' run on cornerbacks continues with Rakestraw coming into the fold," Charles McDonald wrote. "Adding him with Terrion Arnold and Carlton Davis gives the Lions and lot of playmaking at cornerback. Rakestraw isn't the biggest or fastest guy, but he can play."

Bleacher Report: A

Bleacher Report gave out a high mark with a flat A, describing Rakestraw as a "junkyard dog" who is a perfect culture fit for Detroit.

"The Lions have done an exceptional job revamping their secondary this offseason," Brent Sobleski wrote. "Detroit traded for Carlton Davis III prior to the draft, then traded up in the first round to select Terrion Arnold in the first round. Rakestraw gives them yet another upgrade."

Sporting News: A-plus

Sporting News gave out the highest initial grade with a perfect A-plus grade for selecting Rakestraw. The Lions were able to get value and address a major need a second time.

"The Lions get another dynamic cover man to rebuild their cornerback again after jumping on Terrion Arnold in the first round," Vinnie Iyer wrote. "They targeted Rakestraw as an ideal fit for Aaron Glenn’s coverage scheme."

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions NFL draft grades: A's, B's for Ennis Rakestraw Jr. pick