TTProfil

Ennis Rakestraw Jr has a decent build for the position, boasting a low center of gravity and long arms relative to his size. He remains an explosively athletic player with excellent footwork. While his speed is good, it doesn't reach elite levels. He is aggressive but lacks power. I hope he can add a few pounds of muscle to gain strength without sacrificing too much athleticism.

Technically, Ennis is very sound. His backpedal is smooth and fluid, while his hips are also fluid, allowing for seamless transitions. He can change direction effortlessly thanks to these attributes and excellent footwork, characterized by light and explosive foot movements. He's a very energetic athlete with a strong motor, enabling him to maintain a high level of athleticism throughout an entire game.

In press coverage, he impressed me. With his frequent footwork and patience, he consistently manages to mirror receivers, matching their movements with precision. He's capable of jamming the receiver or delivering a jab with forceful hands and good arm length. His trail technique (placing an arm on the receiver's numbers and pushing him towards the sideline) is executed quite well, but his slight lack of speed on the third level (deep) can be a minor issue. Rarely, but worth noting, he loses the battle for vertical positioning, allowing the receiver to "stack" him. This doesn't happen often, but mainly against receivers with larger frames than his own. He also flashes solid bump-and-run coverage (A technique used by a DB,aligned in front of a receiver, consisting of a block (bump) on the latter, only during the first 5 yards (beyond that, it's a foul), before following them in their running route.)).

He prioritizes deep routes a lot when lined up on the outside and can be caught off guard after a good release on a short inside route. Although he has the explosiveness and agility to recover, he needs to be cautious.

In off-man coverage, he shows promising flashes. He's patient, his side-saddle technique is good, and he manages the tempo of his routes and transitions very well. However, he struggles to stop due to extra steps, making him vulnerable on comeback or curl routes, and he gives receivers too much room to operate.
In the slot, he impressed me in press coverage, but a bit less so in off-man coverage. Although his closing speed is interesting, he leaves a bit too much space, in my opinion, for the receiver to operate.

In zone coverage, he was primarily used in Cover 3, and his click-and-close ability (the capacity to recognize plays and react quickly) is very good, enabling him to cut off passing lanes effectively. He has excellent communication skills and a strong overall IQ in this area.

Ennis flashed impressive ball skills in 2022, showing a strong ability to track the ball and effectively use his arm length to defend passes. However, he occasionally lost sight of the ball on deep routes. In 2023, he was targeted much less due to his exceptional coverage skills, which explains his relatively low numbers of only 4 passes defended and 0 interceptions. 

Despite lacking power and struggling a bit to disengage from blocks, he makes a solid contribution against the run game and screens. He possesses good tackling technique and knows how to absorb blocks effectively. He is extremely aggressive in tackling against the pass, but I haven't seen too many shoulder hits, which is reassuring.

Ennis Rakestraw Jr is an under-the-radar prospect at the time of writing this scouting report, but he has impressed me greatly. His press coverage skills are exceptional, and he can be versatile in alignments. His lack of power against bigger WRs may pose a problem, but I believe it will only affect him against the elite receivers in the NFL.
I evaluate Ennis Rakestraw Jr as a late first-round prospect.