The Detroit Lions doubled down on secondary help on the second day of the 2024 NFL draft in Detroit.

The Lions drafted Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. with the 61st pick at the end of the second round. Detroit stayed put at their original pick at the end of the second round to select Rakestraw, a tough-nosed cornerback who can hit hard and play press coverage.

The Lions moved up in the first round to draft Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold with the 24th overall pick in the first round on Thursday. General manager Brad Holmes doubled down on helping out a secondary that ranked near the bottom of the league the last few seasons. Rakestraw and Arnold are joining a revamped secondary that also added Carlton Davis via trade and Amik Robertson in free agency earlier this offseason.

The ESPN broadcast showed Rakestraw watching at home with his family and friends and maintaining a stoic face after the pick was announced, while others around him celebrated.

CARLOS MONARREZ: Lions' double down at cornerback with Missouri's Ennis Rakestraw Jr. a great move

ESPN's Louis Riddick said that Rakestraw was rare because it's not often that you can find a tone-setter for a team at cornerback. He said the attitude he plays with in the secondary is a perfect fit for the Lions' culture built by Dan Campbell.

"Before the draft, if I had to pick a perfect spot for him, it was a team like the Detroit Lions, "They're gonna claw, they want to bite elbows, they're gonna bite kneecaps. They want to do all these things and they got a cornerback that can do that."

Rakestraw became an immediate starter as a true freshman at Missouri before missing most of 2021 with a torn ACL. He appeared in 22 games his final two seasons in college, and finished with 36 career games played and one interception. Despite the lack of counting numbers and a 4.51-second 40-yard dash, Riddick is confident he will be able to contribute at the next level.

"His defensive coordinator, Blake Baker, says his play speed is outstanding," Riddick said. "Forget the 40 time, but how he plays football, the play speed. He can play inside or outside. A very instinctual corner. (He) will come up and hit you."

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Rakestraw has had to deal with injuries, including missing four games in the 2023 season. The Lions must feel confident in the medicals, and if he can be healthy, people believe he will be a contributor.

"He'll come up and support the run, (offers) good offside help as a zone coverage defender," Mel Kiper said. "Ennis Rakestraw, it's hard to find anything not to kie. (He's) got a few injury concerns going forward but I'll tell you this, he can play ball. That is a great Dan Campbell pick."

On the ABC broadcast, former Alabama coach Nick Saban said that Rakestraw was a player he tried to recruit to Alabama, but ultimately he stuck with Missouri as a three-star recruit coming out of Texas, and added he could develop into a good player in Detroit.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions 'perfect spot' for NFL draft pick Ennis Rakestraw Jr.