Scouting Report: Ennis Rakestraw Jr (CB)- Missouri
Sales Pitch: "Well rounded coverage CB who can play both man and zone at an above average level. Is willing to get involved in run game despite leaner frame. Physical limitations indicate more of a CB2 role at the next level but should be an quality starter"
Athletic Profile
Height: 5’ 11" 3/8”
Weight: 183 lbs
Arm Length: 32”
Hand Size: 8 1/2”
40 Yard Dash: 4.51
10 Yard Split: 1.52
Vertical: N/A
Broad Jump: 10’ 0”
Short Shuttle: 4.38
3-Cone: N/A
Age: 22
Relative Athletic Score: 6.17 / 10.00
Statistics
Career: 79 TKL - 8 TFL - 1 INT - 24 PBU - 3 FF
2023: 24 TKL - 1.5 TFL - 0 INT - 4 PBU - 2 FF
Strengths
Long corner with plus quickness and flexibility
Fluid mover capable of playing man coverage from press and off man
Physical at the line of scrimmage with the length to disrupt releases
24 career PBUs with the length and aggression to separate ball from WR
Closes out of deep zone with aggression and speed
Willing participant in run defense
Competent tackler who gets ball carriers down in the open field
Delivers blows on crossing routes and screens when coming downhill
NCB and outside CB versatility
Burst and timing to be an impactful blitzer
Weaknesses
Average size and speed profile
Thin frame with a history of injuries in college
Limitations with deep speed force him to be conservative in deep zones
Lacks physical tools to consistently mark WR1s
Only 1 career INT in 30+ starts
Can get bullied by bigger WRs at the catch point and top of route
Unorthodox tackling technique that can lead to misses vs top end talent
Struggles to get off blocks in the run game
Summary
Ennis Rakestraw is a well rounded CB who wins with good IQ and toughness. A former 3-Star recruit, Rakestraw was a staple on the backend of the Missouri Tigers secondary over the past three years, starting 32 of 36 games. He is a long corner with solid movement skills capable of playing both man and zone coverage. Rakestraw shows very good aggression as the line of scrimmage when asked to play press. He uses his length to disrupt bigger WRs and has the lateral agility to mirror quicker ones. He is also competent in off-man or zone coverage, where he is a good processor and quickly closes on the ball out of his backpedal. Rakestraw is a good all-around corner but lacks elite tools to guard WR1s man to man. He has a thin frame and despite functional play strength can get bullied at the line of scrimmage and catch point by bigger WRs. He also struggles to contain upper echelon separators in man coverage due to only solid athleticism. Rakestraw shows the instincts and aggression to make plays on the ball in zone coverage but struggles to convert interceptions. He had 24 pass breakups in his career to only 1 interception, typically just being a touch late to catch the ball himself and having to settle for a deflection. Despite his thinner frame Rakestraw is a competent run defender. He is a willing and able participant who is not afraid of taking on contact. He closes with aggression and proper angles to spill ball carriers back to his help. Rakestraw’s tackling technique is more of an “any means necessary” approach that can lead to some misses but is generally a positive trait. Rakestraw best fits as a CB2 with alignment and scheme versatility. His lack of elite physical tools at his size limits his ceiling and Round 1 possibilities but he has the mental capabilities to make up for it, and projects as a high floor starter who can play from the jump.