As teams finish their final evaluations for all 2024 NFL Draft prospects, each franchise’s front office will observe everything: Background, complete skill set, and another decision sealer — what competition they faced.
Does Ennis Rakestraw Jr. check off all the boxes? It’s time to take a closer look at the cornerback prospect who’s drawing intrigue ahead of the draft.
How Tall Is Ennis Rakestraw Jr.?
Some franchises immediately get drawn to height when they look at cornerbacks. Does Rakestraw give his future team an advantage there?
He’s not a towering CB option, but Rakestraw stands at 5’11” 3/8 — which still makes him ideal for teams seeking length.
How Much Does Rakestraw Weigh?
Rakestraw comes in weighing 183 pounds. This weight makes him one of the lighter options ahead of the draft. He even entered his senior year of high school weighing 170 pounds.
Furthermore, Rakestraw is considered 17 pounds lighter than average NFL cornerbacks.
How Old Is Rakestraw?
Already 21 years old, Rakestraw will enter the NFL at the age of 22 after celebrating his birthday on June 5.
What School Did Rakestraw Go To?
Rakestraw first established himself as a three-star recruit — but a highly coveted one who lured in 27 different scholarship opportunities, according to 247Sports. He capped off his senior campaign by allowing zero receiving touchdowns on his side.
The standout from Duncanville, Tx., ended up choosing Missouri in the end.
In-state powerhouse Texas was in the final running for Rakestraw, which included a Jan. 31, 2020 visit. However, Rakestraw wound up signing with Mizzou for the late February 2020 class. His career would only take off from there.
Revisiting Rakestraw’s College Career
Rakestraw broke through as a reliable presence for the Tigers right away.
He started in all 10 games during the truncated 2020 regular season as a true freshman, delivering 24 total tackles with 18 solo stops and snatching two stops behind the line of scrimmage that year.
Rakestraw’s sophomore season, unfortunately, was marred with a season-ending torn ACL. But he turned his setback into his comeback the following season — breaking up a career-best 12 passes, forcing two fumbles, and delivering 4.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage in 2022.
Rakestraw revealed he took a liking to defending the run much more toward the end of his college career. He even credited one part of practice that increased his confidence in stuffing the run.
“This year in the offseason, during the special teams period, what I did was take a lot of perfect angles and be better in my tackling. And so it translated onto the field,” Rakestraw told NBC Sports during the 2024 NFL Combine.
Rakestraw went on to solidify one of the SEC’s best CB units alongside Kris Abrams-Draine. Rakestraw became lauded near St. Louis for his explosive movement and instant reaction skills to the ball.
Rakestraw even handled multiple roles at cornerback for the Tigers, often seen lining up outside or taking on slot receivers. He says he’s open to handling both jobs in the NFL.
“Whatever they need from me, that’s what I’m going to do,” Rakestraw said at the Combine. “I’m a team person first, and I’m always going to be accountable. So if the coaches trust me in a certain position, I’m going to do it.”
Rakestraw’s Potential in the NFL
With Rakestraw coming with coverage prowess, a background in taking on the SEC gauntlet, and a “team-first” attitude, does he grade out as a first-rounder?
There are several mock drafts believing he’ll emerge as a closet Round 1 pick. PFN Consensus, however, projects Rakestraw will become a top-100 prospect, landing at No. 51 overall.
PFN’s Ian Cummings has described Rakestraw as a top-64 talent for this class, saying, “he’s deserving of consideration in the early-to-mid Day 2 range.”
Cummings adds how Rakestraw is prime for press-man and off-man defenses. He pointed out the big difference between him and Abrams-Draine in this regard.
“While Abrams-Draine was the off-man and zone ball hawk of Missouri’s defense, Rakestraw was the route eraser on the other side of the field,” Cummings said. “The two had a perfect yin-yang setup, and it was ultimately Rakestraw who funneled passes Abrams-Draine’s way.”
KEEP READING: Ian Cummings’ Full Scouting Report of Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
Rakestraw will draw high intrigue for teams wanting a CB to play man. The downside is his ball skills weren’t the strongest — notably because of having a lack of consistency with his tracking ability.
But overall, Rakestraw has positioned himself as a potential late Day 1 or early Day 2 gem for defenses seeking improvement with their man coverage. Outside of his size, he’s checked off the other needed boxes in evaluating cornerbacks.
Looking for everything you need on the 2024 NFL Draft? Make sure to check out the latest draft results, overall team grades, and updated best remaining players available at every position!