Ennis Rakestraw is running out of time to remain a background piece for the Lions, and Sunday against the Packers could be the moment he finally gets pushed to the front.
For a Detroit 2024 draft class that has already taken plenty of heat, Rakestraw is one of the few still standing. His first two NFL seasons were damaged by injuries, and that ugly stretch was followed by him being a healthy scratch for the first two games this year. For a secondary that badly needs help, that was about as bad a sign as it could have been.
Since then, he’s gotten on the field. Rakestraw played 89 defensive snaps across three games before the bye, with most of that work coming on the outside, where Pro Football Focus credited him with 82 snaps. The numbers are not spotless, but they are at least workable: PFF has him giving up five catches on 11 targets, along with a 63.8 passer rating allowed.
The roughest afternoon came in Week 4 against Carolina, when he allowed three catches on five targets in a game that was ugly for the entire Lions defense. That game stands out as the only real blemish in his three appearances this season.
Now the bye week has handed Detroit a chance to reset and sort through the cornerback rotation. That process matters, because the Lions have some troubling coverage numbers hanging over them. Zach Kruse of Packers Wire shared data from Next Gen Stats showing Detroit has two of the four cornerbacks who have allowed the most EPA in coverage this season.
The list is a brutal one: DJ Reed at +31.1, DaRon Bland at +28.6, Alontae Taylor at +21.6, and Roger McCreary at +20.6. The Lions also have Jack Campbell sitting at +15.2 among linebackers.
Reed is staying put as the No. 1 cornerback no matter what the numbers say. The role is his, even if the results have been uneven.
McCreary’s 71 percent snap share through five games says as much about Detroit’s options as it does about his play. Rock Ya-Sin missed Week 5, and he has never been a starting-caliber cornerback anyway.
Rakestraw, meanwhile, had already passed him in playing time over the two previous games, even though those opportunities totaled just 13 defensive snaps in Weeks 3 and 4.
What matters now is that Rakestraw has been the least profitable matchup for opposing passing games in the games he has played this season. That should earn him a bigger role in Week 7 against Green Bay, and he might even start.
That’s no small assignment. Jordan Love has been throwing the ball well downfield this season, and the Packers have the kind of targets in Christian Watson and Matthew Golden to turn those shots into chunk plays. Golden also dropped two would-be touchdowns on on-target throws in Week 6.
So Sunday gives Rakestraw a real test. If he can hold up against Watson and Golden, the Lions’ pressure to go get another cornerback would at least come down a notch.
In Other News...
Jahmyr Gibbs Faces A Familiar Packers Problem At The Worst Time
Jahmyr Gibbs has been one of the NFLs most dangerous finishers this season, and Detroit is leaning on him again as it tries to get back on track in the division. The Lions head into another meeting with Green Bay looking for their first win over the Packers since 2024, and Gibbs will be central to that push after emerging as the offenses touchdown leader.
The matchup, though, has not always brought out his biggest rushing afternoons. In six career games against Green Bay, Gibbs has averaged 48.2 rushing yards and scored twice, even as the Packers run defense has been merely average this season. Detroit knows what it needs from its backfield, but this remains one of those rivalries where production has been harder to bank on than the name on the stat sheet suggests. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Run Defense Just Got A Brutal Week 7 Twist
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Jacobs return comes after his off-field situation shifted enough to clear the way back onto the roster, and Green Bay suddenly has a player it has been missing all season. For the Lions, it adds a layer of urgency to a unit that has built its identity on controlling the line of scrimmage. The Packers may still be trying to find their footing, but this is no longer the same rushing opponent Detroit was preparing for a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Have A Tom Kennedy Replacement Decision Still Hanging Over Sunday
Tom Kennedys injury leaves the Lions with a straightforward special teams problem and a familiar name ready to step in. Detroit special teams coordinator Dave Fipp said DeAndre Carter brings the kind of experience the team wants in the return game, and the veteran is the logical option to take on both punt and kickoff duties after Kennedy goes down.
The wrinkle is procedural, not positional. Carter is still on the practice squad, so Detroit has to make a roster move before he can actually suit up on game day, either by signing him to the active roster or elevating him for the matchup. For now, the Lions have a clear answer in mind, but the final paperwork still has to be sorted before Sunday. [Read more 🡒]