The 2024 Senior Bowl will provide an opportunity for NFL draft prospects to prove themselves on the largest pre-draft stage. Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. plans on taking full advantage. Rakestraw Jr. recently spoke exclusively with the Senior Bowl and Draft Network to discuss his motivation for accepting his invitation to compete in Mobile, Alabama.
Rakestraw Jr. also discussed what he's striving to prove to NFL general managers and scouts in attendance at the Senior Bowl, playing man and zone coverage, his NFL comparisons, writing his own scouting report, and more. Let's get to know Rakestraw Jr. better ahead of his journey to the Senior Bowl.
JM: Where were you when you found out about your Senior Bowl invite and what was your initial reaction?
Ennis Rakestraw Jr: We were at practice when I found out about my Senior Bowl invite. Our head coach mentioned that he had something for us. I got my invite with three of my teammates, Kris Abrams-Draine, Darius Robinson, and Ty’Ron Hopper. We all received our invite at the same time. It made that moment feel extra special.
JM: What an amazing moment. What motivated you to accept the Senior Bowl’s offer?
Ennis Rakestraw Jr: When I came back to school for my senior season, I wrote my goals down on my mirror. My two goals were to receive invites to the East-West Shrine Bowl and the Senior Bowl. I got both of them. I chose the Senior Bowl because I felt like it was the best opportunity for me to get myself out there. The talent in attendance is going to push me to be a better player.
JM: What are you hoping to prove to NFL general managers, coaching staffs, and scouts in attendance in Mobile?
Ennis Rakestraw Jr: I want to show everybody that I can do what people say I can’t do. Obviously, I want to showcase my abilities in man coverage. I feel like I really thrive in man coverage. I love playing off man as well. I just want to show them that I can compete. When it comes to playing cornerback, you win some and lose some. I’m the same person no matter what.
JM: How would you describe your skill set in your own words? Self-scout yourself.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr: I’m an extremely physical and competitive cornerback. 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.
JM: If you had to give yourself an NFL comp, which cornerback would you choose and why?
Ennis Rakestraw Jr: I would probably say Denzel Ward. The reason I chose him is because I was coached by Steve Wilks at Missouri. Coach Wilks is now the defensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers. Coach Wilks told me that I remind him of Denzel Ward. We both love playing man coverage.
JM: You’ve brought up playing man coverage a few times now. You have great size to play press. You’re approximately 6-foot-1, 190 pounds. Talk to me about using size to your advantage in press man.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr: I feel like my size allows me to disrupt the timing between quarterback and receiver. It makes my job easier. It makes life easier for my 10 teammates as well. It gives the defensive line an extra second to get after the quarterback. That split second could make the difference. I can jam up a receiver at the line of scrimmage. I’m making him change direction. Size really helps me in man coverage.
JM: Do you still prefer to play man coverage on 3rd-and-long? Or would you rather play zone with a chance to make a play on the ball?
Ennis Rakestraw Jr: I’d still say man-to-man coverage. Man-to-man is what I’m best at. 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.
JM: What’s on Ennis Rakestraw Jr’s pre-game playlist?
Ennis Rakestraw Jr: I listen to artists like Lil Baby and NoCap. A song that helps get me ready for a game is “Let It All Work Out” by Lil Wayne. My story has already been written. I’m living my story day by day. There’s always going to be some good and some bad. At the end of the day, it’ll always work itself out.
JM: We love your approach to life in general. At the end of the week, what does a successful Senior Bowl look like for Ennis Rakestraw Jr.?
Ennis Rakestraw Jr: It means I played man coverage at an elite rate (laughs). It means I was a great teammate and helped those around me get better. I want to show the scouts everything they want to see from me. Whatever they think I need to improve in, I want to display that I’m capable of getting better in those areas.
