Detroit Lions cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. has appeared in five games this season, in and out of the lineup, and he was benched in the Week 8 win over the Minnesota Vikings. With the Nov. 10 trade deadline days away, that benching is what put his name into Detroit’s deadline conversation.
Eric Woodyard of ESPN, who covers the Lions, took the question of who could be on the move for Detroit at the deadline. He wrote, “Cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. The Lions don’t have any obvious trade candidates, but Rakestraw, a 2024 second-round pick, was benched in Week 8. The Lions have depth issues in the defensive backfield, though, so that might be a nonstarter.”
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It would be a surprise if the Lions gave up on Rakestraw this soon. He has recorded 10 tackles, one forced fumble, and two passes defended this season. Rakestraw is 24 years old, and he still has the tools to be a good cornerback for Detroit.
The only way Detroit trades Rakestraw away is if it is getting a player like Sauce Gardner from the Indianapolis Colts, or another cornerback of that caliber, in return. It would be silly for Lions general manager Brad Holmes to move off of him so soon. If Rakestraw does get traded before the Nov. 10 deadline, Detroit better have a plan moving forward at the cornerback position.
