Ennis Rakestraw Jr. said he was out to prove the people who called him a bust after his rookie season wrong. He’ll have to wait until next season to get the chance.
The Detroit Lions ended Rakestraw’s 2025 season on Thursday by placing the second-year cornerback on injured reserve.
Rakestraw hurt his shoulder in a tackling drill in practice Sunday. Lions coach Dan Campbell said Monday that Rakestraw still was gathering information on potential treatment options, but Rakestraw posted a picture of himself in a hospital on Instagram, before what appeared to be a surgical procedure.
Rakestraw, the No. 61 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Missouri, also missed most of his rookie season. He was expected to compete for a top backup role behind starters D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold.
The Lions dealt with massive injury woes on defense last season but still won a franchise-record 15 games before losing their playoff opener to the Washington Commanders.
They’ve dealt with more injury problems this year, losing backup defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike and rookie safety Dan Jackson to season-ending injuries with a month to go until the start of the regular season.
The Lions also will be without defensive linemen Alim McNeill, Josh Paschal and Mekhi Wingo and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez likely for the start of the regular season as they recover from injuries.
In the secondary, the Lions have the depth to survive the loss of Rakestraw, who entered camp as their No. 5 cornerback, but have been shorthanded at the position most of camp. Reed and Arnold have missed time with hamstring injuries, though neither is considered serious. Slot cornerback Amik Robertson doubles as the Lions’ No. 3 outside cornerback, and backup Rock Ya-Sin has seen time at both cornerback positions and safety.
The Lions signed tight end Steven Stilianos to take Rakestraw’s spot on the 90-man roster.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.