
To veteran cornerback Amik Robertson, rookies Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw are a familiar breed: "They dawgs, man. I like to play big, have that dawg mentality, that swagger, so sh*t, I like it." With Arnold providing the bark, Rakestraw is beginning to bite.
"You know what I love?" Dan Campbell said Tuesday before the Lions' second padded practice. "Both of those guys are competitive, man. They don’t mess around, for rookies. They’re trying to win the rep, they’re trying to get better and they’re both athletic. You feel like it’s not too big for them."
They do mess around a little. While Rakestraw acknowledged that "we aren't supposed to read on Twitter," that's exactly where he found himself Monday night when he came across a post that Detroit's defense had yet to snag any interceptions in team drills in camp.
"I seen that I was like, 'OK, now we gotta do something,'" Rakestraw said.
During an 11-on-11 period Tuesday morning, Rakestraw read the eyes of Hendon Hooker, jumped a route over the middle and got the defense on the board. His reaction to coming down with the pick? "That's mine."
"We talked about it every day: 'You gonna get one? You gonna get one?' I'm happy that the rookie got the first one," Rakestraw said.
He nearly came up with another on an overthrown ball down the sideline. He also pointed out that he "got the first punch fumble" of camp. The second-round pick out of Missouri who has "dawg exuding out of him," per the man who drafted him, has sprung to life since the Lions put on pads. He was highly disruptive Monday, especially in one-on-ones.
Rakestraw's demeanor always matched with Dan Campbell's Lions. Prior to the draft, NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah said, "The feistiness and toughness and aggressiveness that he plays with, the energy and passion that he plays with, yeah, he fits 100 percent with Detroit." It's starting to shine through.
"I love forcing a fumble more than an interception," Rakestraw said Tuesday. "I know that sounds kind of crazy, but when you force a fumble it shows the real toughness that you got because you gotta actually go up and hit somebody and then punch it out. Sometimes you might get stiff-armed to the ground, but as long as the ball's out that's all that matters."
As Rakestraw was speaking with reporters, Arnold snuck up behind him. The first-round pick is anything but camera shy. Beaming, Arnold leaned over his teammate's shoulder and said, "In case anybody was wondering, Ennis had the first pick of camp. Ennis set the tone today, and they came in bunches. We had a very productive practice because of Ennis."
Indeed, Rakestraw's interception led to two more for the defense. Derrick Barnes got Jared Goff on a play that recalled his game-winning pick to send the Lions to the NFC title game last season, and safety Loren Strickland got Nate Sudfeld on an overthrow. The two rookies agreed that Rakestraw's pick was "the first of many" more to come.
Rakestraw should eventually be an outside corner in Detroit, but he's poised to push for the starting job in the slot as a rookie. Arnold, whose stickiness has been clear in matchups with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, is slated to start on the outside opposite Carlton Davis III. Between Rakestraw, Robertson and Emmanuel Moseley, it feels like the Lions can't go wrong at nickel.
"Rake got his hands on the ball today," Robertson said. "The game is starting to slow down for him, so that’s what you want, man. If he improved at all, that pushes all of us."
Both Rakestraw, 22, and Arnold, 21, still have a long way to go. "A lot of work" to do, said Campbell. Struggles are inevitable for all cornerbacks, let alone rookies. But these two are equipped to stand their ground, and pick each other up when they stumble. With the physicality ramping up, this much is clear: neither one is backing down.
"It gives me a lot of confidence just showing that I'm doing the right things and the older guys can trust me a little bit more," Rakestraw said of his pick. "It was the first one, so that was big for me. Just gotta keep stacking days."