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Instant analysis: How CB Ennis Rakestraw will impact the Detroit Lions

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Instant analysis: How CB Ennis Rakestraw will impact the Detroit Lions


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.

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“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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.





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Detroit, MI

Martin Lawrence bringing 1st comedy tour in 8 years to Detroit: How to get tickets

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Martin Lawrence bringing 1st comedy tour in 8 years to Detroit: How to get tickets


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Martin Lawrence’s sitcom character lived in the Motor City during the five-season run of Fox’s “Martin” in the 1990s.

Now, the real Martin Lawrence is bringing his national arena tour announced Wednesday morning to his TV home.

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The “Y’all Know What It Is!’ tour will arrive at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena on Aug. 30. It is part of a nearly 40-city schedule that is Lawrence’s first comedy tour in eight years.

The tour is timed to follow the premiere of the latest movie in the “Bad Boys” franchise starring Lawrence and Will Smith, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” which premieres June 7.

Tickets are available to purchase starting at 10 a.m. May 17 at 313Presents.com and Ticketmaster.com.

Two years ago, the comedy icon was part of a 30-year anniversary “Martin” special on BET+ that reunited him with cast members Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold and Carl Anthony Payne II.

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Lawrence unveiled his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in April 2023.

For more on the tour and a complete list of cities, go to martinlawrenceontour.com.



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Detroit, MI

Severe storm, tornado strike Southwest Michigan, causing damage

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Severe storm, tornado strike Southwest Michigan, causing damage


Severe storm, tornado strike Southwest Michigan, causing damage – CBS Detroit

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The National Weather Service confirmed that at least two tornadoes hit Southwest Michigan on Tuesday amid severe weather.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit Tigers gash Guardians, 11-7, with Andy Ibáñez’s two homers, Ryan Vilade’s key hits

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Detroit Tigers gash Guardians, 11-7, with Andy Ibáñez’s two homers, Ryan Vilade’s key hits


CLEVELAND — Andy Ibáñez, known for crushing left-handed pitchers, had a prime spot for success Tuesday night: Hitting leadoff for the Detroit Tigers against Cleveland Guardians left-hander Logan Allen. He took advantage of the opportunity by hitting two home runs in the first two innings.

The Tigers and Guardians combined for 18 runs on 23 hits in Tuesday’s game, but the Tigers scored the go-ahead run in the fourth inning and then piled on in the later innings for an 11-7 win in the second of three games at Progressive Field.

Ibáñez, who drove in four of the 11 runs, finished 4-for-4 with two home runs, one single, one double and one walk. It marked the first four-hit game of his career.

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The Tigers (19-17) snapped a four-game losing streak behind Ibáñez’s two homers, rookie Ryan Vilade’s big hits and seven scoreless innings from four relievers out of the bullpen.

A single to remember from Vilade — promoted before Tuesday’s game as the replacement for demoted center fielder Parker Meadows — drove in two runs for a 7-7 tie in the third inning. He hit a two-strike changeup below the strike zone for a single to left field against right-handed reliever Pedro Avila.

A single from Riley Greene and a double from Spencer Torkelson set the table for the first hit of Vilade’s career.

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Vilade waited more than two years for that hit. The 25-year-old hadn’t returned to the big leagues — until Tuesday’s game — since going 0-for-6 with one walk across seven plate appearances in three games for the Colorado Rockies in September 2021.

The Tigers took an 8-7 lead when Matt Vierling grounded into a double play after singles from Ibáñez and Wenceel Pérez.

Vilade drove in another run in the seventh inning for a 9-7 lead. The newcomer drove in Jake Rogers, who doubled as part of his own two-hit performance, with a ground-ball single to left field off left-handed reliever Tim Herrin’s fastball.

A two-run single from Matt Vierling extended the Tigers’ lead to 11-7 with two outs in the eighth.

The Tigers received scoreless performances from four relievers: left-hander Tyler Holton (three innings), right-hander Alex Faedo (two innings), left-hander Andrew Chafin (one inning) and right-hander Alex Lange (one inning).

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Holton saved the Tigers’ pitching staff after a rough two-inning start from right-hander Kenta Maeda.

[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]

Andy’s dandy

Ibáñez flexed his muscles from the third pitch of the game.

The 31-year-old smacked a middle-middle fastball from Allen, a left-hander, with a 102.3 mph exit velocity for a 388-foot home run to left field. It was his first homer of the season, and his first of two homers Tuesday.

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The Tigers hit a leadoff homer in back-to-back games for the first time since Ramón Santiago did it on June 3-4, 2022; it was also the third leadoff dinger in four games, marking the first such run in franchise history. (The other leadoff homers were hit by Greene on Saturday in New York and Monday in Cleveland.)

Ibáñez’s next homer occurred in the next inning.

Ibáñez put the Tigers in front, 5-2, with a three-run shot in the second inning. This time, Ibáñez pushed Allen’s middle-away fastball with a 98.2 mph exit velocity for a 367-foot homer to right.

In addition to Ibáñez’s four RBIs, Javier Báez produced an RBI single as part of the Tigers’ five runs in the first two innings. Allen struggled for the Guardians, allowing seven runs on seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts across 2⅓ innings.

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Ibáñez added a single in the fourth inning, a walk in the sixth and a double in the eighth.

Maeda mashed

Maeda allowed seven runs on five hits and three walks with one strikeouts across two innings, throwing 59 pitches. The 36-year-old, who signed a two-year free-agent contract over the winter, has a 6.75 ERA across 30⅔ innings in seven starts.

He gave up two runs in the first inning, but the real damage occurred in the second inning. Estevan Florial delivered an RBI double, José Ramírez ripped a two-run double, and Josh Naylor obliterated Maeda’s 90.9 mph fastball for a two-run home run to right field.

The homer from Naylor put the Guardians ahead, 7-5. Naylor, who has nine home runs in 34 games this season, hit the ball 407 feet with a 106.2 mph exit velocity.

Maeda generated five whiffs on 25 swings — a 20% whiff rate — with four splitters and one slider. His fastball averaged 90.2 mph but didn’t produce any swings and misses.

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Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.





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