New York Giants Draft Prospect: CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr.

Nick takes a look at another potential cornerback prospect.

Oct 22, 2022; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive back Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (2) / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Ennis Rakestraw Jr., CB

Height: 5’11

Weight: 183 lbs

Hands: 8 ½”

Arms: 32”

Class: RS-Junior

School: Missouri
Stats

MEASUREMENTS

40-yard dash: 4.51

10-yard split: 1.54

Broad Jump: 10’0”

He is a former three-star recruit out of Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas, where he was the 105th recruit from the state and the 68 CB in the 2020 class. As a senior, the Dallas Morning News named him the "SportsDayHS Defensive Player of the Year."

Rakestraw started 10 games as a freshman in 2020, but a torn ACL in 2021 effectively ended that season. He did start 13 games in 2022, where he allowed a 58.8% catch rate. His 2023 campaign wasn’t as productive, but he faced much fewer targets (28, allowing 18 catches, according to Pro Football Focus).

A core muscle injury kept Rakestraw Jr. out of the Senior Bowl, and the Mizzou CB injured his groin while running the 40-yard dash at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Rakestraw Jr. missed four games in 2023 with groin and abdominal injuries. He reportedly ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at Missouri’s Pro Day.

Strengths

* Good length and solid height

* Solid speed when he opens up his stride

* Excellent ability to quickly close width and explode downward

* Fluid enough to play man coverage at the next level

* When disciplined, he can stick in man coverage and stay in the hip pocket of WRs

* Physical jam and ride player at the LOS

* Good zone awareness and solid positioning when in half-turn outside

* Intelligent player - active eyes, good angles in run support

* Excellent run support player

* Tackler’s mentality - embraces contact

* Makes his presence felt as a tackler

* Will wrap up and attempt to lift through contact

* Good overall play strength - has pop in his hands in press

* Can align inside and man the slot

* High competitive spirit - very animated on the field

* Will be a good gunner on special teams

[View more draft prospect scouting profiles.]

Weaknesses

* Thin wiry frame - good long arms

* Lack top-tier athletic ability

* Recovery speed is only adequate

* Could be more balanced when changing direction

* Feet can work against him in press

* Can lose footwork in transitions - transitions aren’t always crisp

* Choppy feet when decelerating

* Can over-commit with feet/hips in coverage, leading to him being out of position

* Will get grabby/maintain contact far up stem

* Failed to play through the whistle far too frequently

* Gets tunnel vision on assignments and doesn’t turn his head to consistently locate the football

* Has lost badly on horizontal routes in college (Ricky Pearsall, Florida, 2023 & 2022)

* Can play man coverage at the next level, but cleaner transitions/footwork could help his balance to maximize the man coverage skills he already possesses

* Limited ball production

* Better 2022 tape, specifically at the catch point (was target 51 times; only 28 in 2023)

* Did deal with injuries in 2023

* Several groin and abdominal injuries and also tore his ACL in 2021

Summary

Rakestraw Jr. is a solid overall coverage CB with a chippy mentality and the right physical mindset that coaches will love. He dictates at the LOS with a tough jam, can be sticky in man coverage when disciplined, and has experience playing in the slot.

There are reasons to like Rakestraw Jr., but his inability to consistently turn and locate the football in man coverage while also suffering from a grabby nature could lead to more yellow laundry than one would hope (13 penalties in college). No one would question Rakestraw’s competitive toughness by how he plays, but he also has stopped hustling several times before the whistle, which is inexcusable. He also will jaw at WRs all day - he loves to get under their skin and make his presence vocally known.

Rakestraw has experience executing press - which can be cleaned up - and he also has experience in outside shade Cover-3 (backside to sideline) technique, where he would midpoint and use his vision/positioning to react to the offense. He is fluid enough to play in man coverage and instinctive enough for zone, but his man coverage skills would enhance if he was more precise with his feet and controlled out of breaks. Overall, he’s a player who should earn a starting role early in his career and will be quality depth if he initially fails to do so.

GRADE: 6.31

Nick Falato's Draft Grade Chart / Nick Falato

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