Mizzou’s Ennis Rakestraw Jr. selected by Detroit Lions in 2nd round of NFL Draft

Cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. became the second Missouri Tigers football player selected in the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday night, going 61st overall in the second round to the Detroit Lions.

In his final season at Mizzou, the Dallas native recorded 35 tackles in nine games, eight of them starts. He and fellow corner Kris Abrams-Draine combined to form a stellar defensive secondary for the Tigers, who won 11 games last season and finished with a top-10 national ranking.

Fellow Tiger Darius Robinson, a standout defensive lineman, was selected in Thursday night’s opening round of the draft by the Arizona Cardinals.

Rakestraw produced a 6.35 prospect grade at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, placing him in the “will eventually be a plus starter” category on the NFL’s grading scale.

Here’s what analyst Lance Zierlein said recently about Rakestraw:

“Rakestraw plays the game with good physicality and a competitive tilt that defensive back coaches will enjoy. He’s strong but not as big or fast as teams usually like when picking within the first three rounds of the draft.

“However, he’s hard-nosed in press and has the body control and anticipation to play a sticky brand of man coverage over the first two levels.”