ALLEN PARK — Brad Holmes feels like the Detroit Lions finally found the future of their cornerback room. The Lions made two picks in the first two days of the 2024 NFL draft, and both players were cornerbacks: Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr.

The Lions are slated to pick from 164th (Round 5), 201st (Round 6), 205th (Round 6) and 249th (Round 7) on Day 3. For those counting from home, that’s a 103-selection gap between the Rakestraw pick and the team’s next draft slot.

New Lions CB plans to bring Deion Sanders levels of excitement to Detroit

2024 NFL draft: Detroit Lions pick Missouri CB Ennis Rakestraw at 61st overall

Boston College iOL Christian Mahogany

Christian Mahogany checks boxes around these parts as a pure guard who might have dropped boards due to his injury history. Mahogany missed the entire 2022 season with an ACL injury. But it’s hard to hold anything against him after being named a first-team All-ACC guard last season, allowing no sacks or quarterback hits across 862 offensive snaps. He has an old-school mauler in his game, and that should work well on the ground, with a year as a depth piece working in his favor in terms of development.

Florida State TE Jaheim Bell

Jaheim Bell is a fun thought for Ben Johnson’s offense. He could handle work out of the backfield as the team’s H-back, which could give the Lions even more flexibility. Bell was a do-it-all piece at South Carolina, then landed in a different role in his lone year in Tallahassee. While at South Carolina, he caught 55 balls for 728 yards and seven touchdowns, with 73 rushes for 261 yards and three scores on the ground. The Seminoles didn’t need Bell in the running game, using him more all over, hitting him for 39 grabs, 503 yards and two scores. He measured 6-foot-1, 244 pounds at the Senior Bowl, so he’s a tough projection in the NFL.

Pittsburgh WR Bub Means

Bub Means would be an intriguing depth piece for the vertical passing attack after losing Josh Reynolds via free agency. Means doesn’t have the gaudiest numbers. But a 17.6-yard per catch average with his sturdy frame? That’s the type of player that should be enticing on Day 3. Means caught 41 balls for 721 and six scores in 2023. He’s a big-play, contested-ball type, and that’s something the Lions need moving forward.

North Carolina WR Devontez Walker

Coming out of the combine, yours truly said Devontez Walker could turn out to be one of the steals of the draft. And, well, here we are, entering Day 3, and Walker is still there. His final season in Chapel Hill was interrupted by the NCAA being the NCAA. But when the wideout was cleared for action, he secured 41 receptions for 699 yards and seven touchdowns in only eight games. He scored 18 touchdowns in his last 20 games between Kent State and UNC.

Charlotte EDGE Eyabi Okie-Anoma

Eyabi Okie-Anoma has been a personal favorite late-round pick for a minute. He’s a former blue-chip recruit who transferred from Alabama to Michigan to Charlotte, and while his career didn’t go as planned, he flashed enough as an explosive pass rusher to get a chance in the NFL. The 6-foot-5, 244-pounder would be a development pick. But this isn’t a blank slate.

Alabama RB Jase McClellan

Jase McClellan has been a vital part of the Crimson Tide’s offense over the last two years. He ran 180 times for 890 yards and eight scores, adding 15 catches for 137 yards last season. He was a four-year contributor at Alabama, a program the Lions have proven to love. McClellan is a solid athlete and comes battle-tested from one of the nation’s toughest situations to maintain a multi-year role, and that’s not nothing.

Northern Iowa DL Khristian Boyd

Khristian Boyd and the Lions have been linked since they hosted the Northern Iowa prospect on a pre-draft visit. He’s another experienced option, with six years in the college game. But Boyd wreaked a ton of havoc, posting 22.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks at Northern Iowa. He’s a powerful presence that will clog holes on the interior of a defensive line. It’s always hard to project players making the jump in competition like that. However, Boyd has some physical traits that should help him find a home on Day 3.

Washington S Dominique Hampton

Dominique Hampton played six seasons at the college level. But that kind of experience starts to be more of a positive than a negative when talking about the later rounds. He’ll turn 24 as a rookie. But Hampton forced seven incompletions, with a forced incompletion rate of 12.7% last season, showing a helpful level of aggressiveness to the ball. He’s played all over the field, with nearly 800 snaps in the slot over the last two seasons, with some work out wide, too. Hampton works in several ways in Detroit.

Air Force LB Bo Richter

Bo Richter might be without a home due to his size. But the way he disengages, whether from the edge of off-ball linebacker, lends one to think he’d be a natural on special teams. The Mountain West Conference standout posted 19.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 13 games last season. Some view him as a linebacker, others an edge, with his path to playing time coming on special teams, though.

He scored a glowing 9.92 Relative Athletic Score, with his only knock coming in the size department at 6-foot, 248 pounds. He ran a 4.56-second 40-yard dash and added a 40-inch vertical, suggesting there is more than enough to work with in Richter.

Michigan LB Michael Barrett

Another name to watch for a special teams role, at least at first, is former Michigan standout, Michael Barrett. He’s another throwback linebacker who could thrive with the new kickoff rules on special teams. Barrett is undersized for a full-time role as a linebacker, much like Richter. But Barrett hits like a superheavyweight and runs downhill like a runaway car without brakes.

Wake Forest S Malik Mustapha

Malik Mustapha plays like he already plays for Aaron Glenn and Deshea Townsend. Mustapha is a throwback safety who plays with a scary downhill ability. He was one of PFF’s top-graded run defenders at his position, and his chops in coverage weren’t too bad. Mustapha had a forced incompletion rate of 10.3% and got a taste of action all over the defense in 2023. The Lions are rolling with Ifeatu Melifonwu and Kerby Joseph as their top safeties. Joseph is recovering from hip surgery, and the Lions could use more depth there and on special teams.

Texas WR Jordan Whittington

Jordan Whittington is the type of versatile, straight playmaker that could and should entice the Lions. He was a five-year player at Texas, with two strong seasons to end his time in Austin. He caught 42 passes for 505 yards and one score in Texas’ loaded passing attack in 2023. Whittington could bring some enviable size to the slot, with his standing as a blocker and physical football player hard to ignore for the Lions. He’s played running back in the past and projects as a unique player who could add something after the catch. Whittington was a former top-100 recruit who dealt with injuries and a loaded room of pass catchers at Texas.

While his production or vertical ability on the outside won’t blow anyone away, Whittington has a rock-solid frame and plays like someone who would fit in well in Detroit.

Missouri K Harrison Mevis

Welcome to the kicker section. We are talking about potential Day 3 selections here, so let’s at least look at three of the top options. Harrison Mevis had a brutal showing at his pro day. But when looking at what he accomplished while at Missouri? It’s easy to see him getting a shot. Mevis made 147 of 148 extra-point attempts in four seasons, hitting 86 of 103 field goals with a long of 61 yards. He missed only one kick from inside of 40 yards. There are consistency issues he needs to correct if he wants to fight for a spot in an NFL training camp. But the boom potential is there.

Arkansas K Cam Little

Cam Little, though? It’s easy to fall in love with his consistent accuracy. Little made all 129 extra points at Arkansas, making 53 of 64 field goals with a long of 56 yards. His college coach claimed Little hit a 68-yarder in practice, so there is some leg talent worth evaluation if that’s the case. Little made four of his five tries from longer than 50 yards out in 2023.

Alabama K Will Reichard

Will Reichard leaves Alabama as the all-time scoring leader in the FBS history. Reichard made 295 of 297 extra points, with 84 made field goals on a clean 100 tries. He’s kicked in some supremely high-pressure situations, not to mention an improved showing from distance. Reichard made all five attempts from 50-plus yards in his final season for the Crimson Tide.

When Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes says he takes the best player available on his draft board, he means it. After selecting Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Lions went back to the cornerback market and selected Ennis Rakestraw of Missouri with pick No. 61 overall.

Rakestraw’s physicality and mental makeup has made him an easy connection to the Lions all offseason, something we saw early in the process.

“Rakestraw is my guy,” ESPN’s Matt Miller said in a February video conference. “That is my draft crush this year […] If you’re looking for a prototypical Detroit Lions-type player, I think that physicality at the line of scrimmage—he is a great tackler in space as well, especially for not being the biggest guy. He’s probably going to come in at like 6-foot, 190 pounds, maybe 195 if we’re lucky. He’s not a striking physical player when you’re just looking at height, weight, strength, but man, he absolutely plays as one of the most physical corners in this draft or in any draft. He’s right there with some of the best corners I’ve evaluated at playing near the line of scrimmage and using that physicality.”

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah—who ranked Rakestraw as the 32nd-best player in this year’s draft class—also echoed that Rakestraw would be an ideal pairing with Detroit’s culture.

“The feistiness and toughness, the aggressiveness that he plays with, the energy, the passion that he plays with, yeah, he fits 100% with Detroit,” Jeremiah concluded.

Coverage scheme, positional range

Rakestraw is comfortable in zone and man coverage schemes but has a strong preference to stay in press man coverage whenever possible—which should come as no surprise considering the Lions’ preference to stay in man coverage as much as possible.

“Man-to-man is what I’m best at,” Rakestraw told Justin Melo of the Draft Network. “That’s how you maximize my skill set in coverage. Zone is great too, but I’ve always preferred to play man coverage. In my mind, I’m always using instincts to disrupt timing in man coverage. Not every rep is going to go your way, but man coverage gives me an opportunity to battle throughout the course of that rep.”

Rakestraw played roughly 80 percent of his college snaps on the outside but showed the ability to kick inside and play in the slot as well—which is where he started his career at Missouri. He’ll get his first shot in the NFL on the outside, but Rakestraw’s skills very much translate into the slot, where he could supplement Brian Branch and allow the Lions’ current nickel starter to roam the field and match up with opponents.

Skill set

“I’m an extremely physical and competitive cornerback,” Rakestraw self-scouted his game. “I love to tackle. I thrive when playing man coverage. I need to have more ball production, but my ability to judge the ball in flight is second to none. I don’t get a lot of interceptions, but I’ve rarely given up any catches, either. I know how to play the ball in the air.”

That’s an honest and fair assessment of Rakestraw’s skills, but I believe we can expand on that a bit more.

Rakestraw is very confident in his skills, plays with a chip on his shoulder, and carries his play with swagger. He’s the type of player who will deliver a big hit on you and then make sure you knew it was him.

In coverage, he is patient in getting into phase with receivers, showing solid range and fluidity in his tracking/mirroring movements. He is best in press man, and easily turns and runs with his man. His change-of-direction skills are on point and he can travel with routes. He is smart about knowing when to turn and locate the ball, which leads to fewer penalties.

Rakestraw does have some long-speed issues which can lead to problems if he is straight running with receivers, but more often than not he relies on his instincts to get over the top of his assignment and stay in a good position to make a play on the ball.

As Rakestraw pointed out, his overall ball production is something he can work on, but he is often in the right position to make plays on the ball, which is a highly positive step. With some NFL coaching, this is an area where he can improve.

Rakestraw’s best attribute is his run defense, as he is one of the best in the class. He is incredibly quick to diagnose what’s in front of him and he is willing to take on all blockers—yes, even offensive linemen—and is a highly proficient tackler.

Additionally, Rakestraw has experience as a gunner, which is an immediate path to snaps on special teams. Having a way to produce on special teams will be important because the Lions’ cornerback room is suddenly logjammed full of quality options and there will be strong competition in training camp for snaps.

Fighting through the bloodbath

The Lions wanted to improve their cornerbacks room this offseason and they used quite a bit of draft capital to do so. In acquiring Arnold, they used a third-round pick to trade up in the first and selected him. They used a second-round pick to grab Rakestraw. And they used another third-round pick to trade for Carlton Davis. In total, that’s four top-100 draft picks to acquire an instant starter and two young players who will help stabilize the room for the future.

In addition to the draft capital, the Lions re-signed Emmanuel Moseley, Kindle Vildor, and Khalil Dorsey, as well as signed Amik Robertson. When you add in the fact that they also had nickel defensive back Brian Branch in a starting role and Steven Gilmore and Craig James under contract.

With 10 cornerbacks on their roster and just three starting roles, the Lions will enter training camp with healthy competition for starting and depth roles, which should lead to improved depth and a better overall secondary.

Being drafted was great, but it’s what came after that really had new Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold feeling his emotions.

“Just to hear them chanting my name last night, I’ve always dreamed of moments like that as a kid,” Arnold said at his introductory news conference Friday. “I’ve considered myself like a fan favorite. I’ve always wanted the rep that, when they show up to games on Mondays, Thursdays or Sundays, I just get the name that, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen today, but I feel like Terrion is going to do something incredible.’”

One of the last players in the green room Thursday, Arnold was greeted with thunderous cheers from an estimated crowd of 275,000 when the hometown Lions traded up five spots to take him with the 24th pick in the draft.

SHAWN WINDSOR: Terrion Arnold said it: ‘Y’all got a star.’ If he’s right, they’ve got a Super Bowl, too

He addressed the crowd during an on-stage interview with NFL Network immediately after the pick, grabbing the microphone from host Kaylee Hartung and declaring Detroit his new home and telling fans they were getting “a star.”

Arnold, widely regarded as one of the draft’s top two cornerbacks — one of the Lions’ biggest positions of need —said he’s always looked at Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders as the model of flash and excitement he wants to emulate on the field.

On Friday, Arnold said he wanted to “be the Deion Sanders, or have that era in this generation here in Detroit.”

Sanders, ironically, said when he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1989 — after the Lions took Barry Sanders with the No. 3 overall pick — that he didn’t want to go to Detroit and would have asked for so much money the Lions would have had to put him “on layaway.”

“When you watch Deion Sanders you just think about excitement,” Arnold said. “Like you’re going to the games to see a show. Same thing with me. When the ball’s in the air, you know who’s coming down with it. And then we play in a tough division, so as far as going against the Bears, going against the Vikings, it’s going to be amazing. Those are the games you live for and it’s going to be a chance to just go out there and really show I am an alpha dog.”

DRAFT NIGHT: Terrion Arnold told Lions to trade up to draft him, shares his ‘Michael Jordan moment’

Arnold said he celebrated his selection for 3 seconds Thursday, the approach he and his grandfather always take with big accomplishments.

“He says it like this: He say, ‘T, let’s celebrate,’” Arnold said, deadpan. “And then we done.”

Arnold did make a special morning-after phone call Friday to his great-grandmother, whose initial reaction to the pick was, “That’s far.”

“So my great-grandmother, I would have had her in the green room with me but she had a crazy experience with a plane and she doesn’t fly,” Arnold said. “So for her to just say, ‘Well, now I might have to get on a plane,’ I feel like, I call it like a Detroit blessing. There’s just something about being in here, being in this city, it’s going to be fun, there’s going to be blessings everywhere.”

Arnold is expected to play a key role in the Lions secondary this fall and should compete for the starting job opposite Carlton Davis.

He tied for the SEC lead with five interceptions last season, in his first full year as starter, and said he plans to come in “humble and just open to learn.”

“I don’t want to come in here and just be that rookie who thinks he’s going to start,” he said. “I know I’m going to have to work for everything. I want to learn from the vets. Even me being in the locker room, I was in there with some of the veterans and they just said that they were grateful to have me here so you can just tell they welcome you with open arms.”

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.