Recap: Lions draft CB Rakestraw, six UM players taken on Day 2 of NFL Draft
Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft gave the Detroit audience a show, with six former Michigan Wolverine players being selected, making it seven overall players selected in the first three rounds.
The Lions had the 61st pick of the draft for the second day because of the first round trade with Dallas. They used that pick to take their second cornerback of the draft, Missouri's Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
The 2023 national champion Michigan Wolverines were honored before the draft officially started, with former quarterback and No. 10 pick J.J. McCarthy introducing his former team from the video board.
That wouldn't be only time the Detroit crowd would see maize and blue throughout the night. It started with Kris Jenkins and Mike Sainristil being drafted back-to-back at picks No. 49 and 50. Junior Colson went No. 69 to the Los Angeles Chargers to reunite with head coach Jim Harbaugh, then Blake Corum, Roman Wilson, and Zak Zinter were selected in consecutive picks in the middle of the third round.
Round 3, Pick 100: Commanders draft Luke McCaffrey
For the last pick of day two, Washington select wide receiver Luke McCaffrey from Rice. And yes, he is the younger brother of Christian McCaffrey if you were wondering.
That will do it for day two of the 2024 NFL Draft! The Panthers will start round four with the 101st pick tomorrow afternoon, where this Detroit crowd hopes to break the all-time draft attendance record.
Round 3, Pick 99: Rams select Kamren Kinchens
This guy has a cool name. Rams go with another player who went to a school in Florida, the safety Kamren Kinchens from Miami.
Round 3, Pick 98: Steelers take a chance, draft Payton Watson
Payton Watson will head to Pittsburgh out of NC State, as the winner of the Butkus Award in 2023 for best linebacker. He dropped in the draft due to injury concerns, and it seems like Mike Tomlin will take a chance on him.
Round 3, Pick 97: Bengals go with McKinnley Jackson
Cincinnati takes their second defensive tackle tonight, drafting Texas A&M's McKinnley Jackson.
Round 3, Pick 96: Jaguars take Jarrian Jones
Jacksonville doesn't select a player from LSU this time, going with cornerback Jarrian Jones from Florida State. Yes, Tony Khan is still wearing the neckbrace if you were still wondering.
Round 3, Pick 95: Bills draft DeWayne Carter
After no picks in the first round, the Bills use their third pick of day two to select DeWayne Carter, a defensive tackle from Duke.
Round 3, Pick 94: Jalyx Hunt heads to the Eagles
A new college appears! Philadelphia takes edge rusher Jalyx Hunt from Houston Christian, the 2023 Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
Round 3, Pick 93: Ravens take Adisa Isaac
Baltimore goes defense with the No. 93 pick, taking edge rusher Adisa Isaac from Penn State.
Round 3, Pick 92: Washington ties Michigan, Tampa Bay drafts Jalen McMillian
Buccaneers and Packers go back-to-back for the second time tonight, and Tampa Bay takes Washington's seventh player of the draft so far with wide receiver Jalen McMillian. The two teams that faced off in the National Championship are tied with the most players selected in the first three rounds.
Round 3, Pick 91: Packers take Ty'Ron Hopper
With their second pick just four selections apart, the Packers take linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper from Missouri.
Round 3, Pick 90: Cardinals select Elijah Jones
With their seventh pick of the draft so far, Arizona takes their second cornerback of the night with Boston College's Elijah Jones.
Round 3, Pick 89: Buccaneers draft Tykee Smith
Tampa Bay goes all defense in the second day of this NFL draft, taking safety Tykee Smith from Georgia.
Round 3, Pick 88: Packers take MarShawn Lloyd
We get two running backs taken within six picks of each other, with USC's MarShawn Lloyd getting drafted to Green Bay and getting to learn behind new free agent acquisition Josh Jacobs.
Round 3, Pick 87: Marist Liufau heads to the Cowboys
Dallas goes defense in their fourth pick of the draft so far, taking linebacker Marist Liufau from Notre Dame.
Round 3, Pick 86: 49ers select Dominick Puni
San Francisco decides to break up the Wolverine party, taking tackle Dominick Puni from Kansas.
Round 3, Pick 85: Third Ex-Wolverine in a row is taken, Zak Zinter goes to Browns
The NFL draft already double-dipped in Ann Arbor, why not triple-dip? Zak Zinter becomes the third Wolverine in a row and seventh overall to be drafted tonight. Zinter suffered a season-ending injury in the Ohio State game, but should get a chance to compete for a spot once he's available.
Round 3, Pick 84: Ex-Wolverine Roman Wilson heads to Pittsburgh
What are the odds? Wolverines go back-to-back twice in the same night! Wilson will head to the Steel City, catching passes from either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields next season.
Round 3, Pick 83: Ex-Wolverine Blake Corum goes to the Rams
Another Michigan man goes to Los Angeles, this time Corum will make his way to the Rams in a loaded offense with former Lion Matthew Stafford and wide receiver studs in Cooper Kupp and Puka Nakua. Wolverine fans have to be excited with this one.
Round 3, Pick 82: Cardinals take Tip Reiman
Arizona goes with a tight end, taking Tip Reiman from Illinois.
Round 3, Pick 81: Seahawks draft Christian Haynes
With current Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett making the pick, the Seahawks take guard Christian Haynes from UConn.
Round 3, Pick 80: Bengals select Jermaine Burton
As an emergency plan in case Tee Higgins is traded out of Cincinnati soon, they take receiver Jermaine Burton from Alabama.
Round 3, Pick 79: Colts also trade up, select Matt Goncalves
We get back-to-back trade ups as the Colts go offensive tackle with Matt Goncalves from Pittsburgh.
Round 3, Pick 78: Texans trade up, draft Calen Bullock
It's been too long since a trade, as the Texans swap picks with the Eagles to move up and select safety Calen Bullock from USC though he was announced as a cornerback during the selection.
Round 3, Pick 77: Raiders go offense again, take Delmar Glaze
Las Vegas uses their second and final pick of day two to select their third offensive player in Delmar Glaze, offensive tackle from Maryland.
Round 3, Pick 76: Broncos select Jonah Elliss
Another team making their first appearance tonight, the Broncos select edge rusher Jonah Elliss from Utah.
Round 3, Pick 75: Bears take Kiran Amegadjie
Making their first apperance in day two is the Chicago Bears, represented by former cornerback Charles "Peanut" Tillman. The Bears select tackle Kiran Amegadjie from Yale.
Round 3, Pick 74: Falcons draft Bralen Trice
It might've taken them longer than fans would've liked, but the Falcons finally take an edge defender with their third round pick in Bralen Trice from Washington, the sixth player taken from that college so far.
Round 3, Pick 73: Cowboys select Cooper Beebe
Dallas goes offensive line again with the first of their two round three picks, taking guard Cooper Beebe from Kansas State.
Round 3, Pick 72: Panthers take Trevin Wallace
Carolina uses their only pick of round three to select Trevin Wallace, a linebacker from Kentucky.
Round 3, Pick 71: Cardinals select Isaiah Adams
The Cardinals have four picks in the third round, and use their second one on offensive tackle Isaiah Adams from Illinois.
Round 3, Pick 70: Giants go secondary, take Andru Phillips
With their third of six picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Giants take cornerback Andru Phillips from Kentucky.
Round 3, Pick 69: Chargers take Ex-Wolverine Junior Colson
You knew it wouldn't be long before a Wolverine found themselves in Jim Harbaugh's grasp. The Chargers take the third defensive player from Michigan in this draft so far, linebacker Junior Colson. Colson is also the first defensive player taken by the Chargers in this draft.
Round 3, Pick 68: Patriots select Caedan Wallace
After using their first two picks on offense, New England stays on that side of the ball and take tackle Caedan Wallace from Penn State.
Round 3, Pick 67: Commanders take Brandon Coleman
After having three selections in the second round alone, the Commanders use their first pick of the third round to take guard Brandon Coleman from TCU.
Round 3, Pick 66: Cardinals select Trey Benson
Just the second running back to be taken so far in the draft, Trey Benson goes from Florida State to Arizona.
Round 3, Pick 65: Jets take wide receiver Malachi Corley
With the first pick of the third round, Detroit native and former Wolverine Braylon Edwards comes out to announce the selection of Malachi Corley, wide receiver from Western Kentucky.
Round 2, Pick 64: 49ers end second round by picking Renardo Green
For the final pick of the second round, Detroit native and former 49ers draft pick Anthony "Spice" Adams announces the 64th selection, cornerback Renardo Green from Florida State.
Round 2, Pick 63: Chiefs trade up, take Kingsley Suamataia
The two teams that faced off in the past Super Bowl swap second round picks, as the Chiefs move up to No. 63 and select offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia from BYU.
Round 2, Pick 62: Ravens go offensive line, take Roger Rosengarten
Former Raven and Lion Haloti Ngata comes out to announce that Baltimore has selected tackle Roger Rosengarten from Washington, another player taken from the team that fell to the Wolverines in the National Championship.
Round 2, Pick 61: Lions go secondary again, take Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
To announce the 61st pick, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders come out. The Lions select another cornerback, Ennis Rakestraw Jr. from Missouri. At 5'11 and 183 pounds, the Lions yet again add another young secondary player.
Rakestraw was also seen as a top cornerback prospect throughout the draft process, and Detroit swoops in to take two of the best cornerback prospects in the draft. In his four years at Missouri, although he only had one interception in his college career, he amassed 35 tackles each in his final two years, with a high of 12 pass deflections during the 2022 season.
Round 2, Pick 60: Bills select Cole Bishop
Bills start revamping their secondary through the draft with taking safety Cole Bishop from Utah. Bills use their second round picks to fill holes made from their offseason.
Round 2, Pick 59: Texans take Blake Fisher
With just their second pick of the draft so far, the Texans go offensive line and take Blake Fisher from Notre Dame.
Round 2, Pick 58: Packers take safety Javon Bullard
Bulaga comes back to more boos, as the Packers select Javon Bullard from Georgia.
Round 2, Pick 57: Bucs take Chris Braswell
Detroit native and former Spartan William Gholston comes out to announce that Tampa Bay selects Chris Braswell from Alabama.
Round 2, Pick 56: Cowboys take Marshawn Kneeland from Western Michigan
After trading with the Lions last night, Dallas drafts a Western Michigan player, edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland.
Round 2, Pick 55: Dolphins take tackle Patrick Paul
Miami selects Patrick Paul from Houston, strengthening the offensive line to keep quarterback Tua Tagovailoa protected.
Round 2, Pick 54: Browns take Ohio State's Michael Hall Jr.
Browns former pick Carl Nassib comes up to announce the pick, representing his former team and the Trevor Project. With their first selection of the draft (you heard that right), Cleveland selects defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. from Ohio State, keeping him in his home state.
Round 2, Pick 53: Commanders go offense, take Ben Sinnott
Hey Darrell Green, back so soon? With their fourth pick so far in the draft, Washington selects tight end Ben Sinnott from Kansas State. This is only the second tight end taken so far and the first once since Brock Bowers went 13th to the Raiders last night.
Round 2, Pick 52: Colts go with Adonai Mitchell
Signing Michael Pittman Jr. wasn't enough for Indianapolis, as the Colts take wide receiver Adonai Mitchell from Texas. Anthony Richardson should have plenty of weapons around him when he returns from injury.
Round 2, Pick 51: Steelers take Zach Frazier
Steelers take another offensive lineman with their second selection of this draft, this time going with West Virginia's Zach Frazier at center.
Round 2, Pick 50: Former Wolverine Mike Sainristil heads to Washington
Who thought back-to-back Wolverines would be drafted? This time, it's cornerback Mike Sainristil joining the Commanders as the Detroit crowd has to be excited. We went from no Wolverines drafted to two in a row.
Round 2, Pick 49: Former Wolverine Kris Jenkins Jr. goes to Cincinnati
The first Wolverine is taken off the board, and it's Kris Jenkins Jr. going from Michigan to Ohio and joining the Bengals. The defensive tackle should shore up the line after D.J. Reader went from the Bengals to the Lions in the offseason.
Round 2, Pick 48: Jaguars take Masson Smith
Another defensive tackle is taken off the board, this time it's the Jags taking Maason Smith from LSU. And yes, Tony Khan is still wearing his neckbrace from what happened on AEW Wednesday night.
Round 2, Pick 47: Giants take first safety of the draft, Tyler Nubin
Former Giant Tiki Barber comes out and gives a shoutout to another former Giant, Lions head coach Dan Campbell. The G-men take safety Tyler Nubin from Minnesota, as the Giants are building a young defense with Kayvon Thibodeaux and the newly-acquired Brian Burns.
Round 2, Pick 46: Panthers trade back up after trading down, take running back Jonathon Brooks
Panthers keep moving through the board, trading with the Colts for No. 46 after trading down with the Rams a few picks ago. Former Spartan and Panther Muhsin Muhammed comes out to announce the first running back taken in the draft, Jonathon Brooks from Texas who is recovering from a torn ACL. We're getting variety in draft choices!
Round 2, Pick 45: Packers take linebacker Edgerrin Cooper
The Pack is back, and Bryan Bulaga is almost booed off-stage by this Detroit crowd. Bulaga stands his ground and announces the selection of the first linebacker in the entire draft, Edgerrin Cooper from Texas A&M.
Round 2, Pick 44: Raiders select guard Jackson Powers-Johnson
Raiders legend Jim Plunkett announces the drafting of Jackson Powers-Johnson, the first offensive lineman taken in the second round. Powers-Johnson is projected to be one of the better offensive lineman in the draft class at center, even though he was announced as a guard when drafted.
Round 2, Pick 43: Max Melton heads to Arizona
Cornerbacks are flying off the shelves, everyone. The Cardinals go to the Big Ten again, taking Max Melton from Rutgers after trading back earlier in the round.
Round 2, Pick 42: Another corner is taken as Kamari Lassiter goes to the Texans
Two corners taken in a row, why not three? The Texans dive into the SEC, but this time to Georgia to take cornerback Kamari Lassiter. If you've been keeping up, all the choices so far have been wide receivers, defensive tackles, and cornerbacks.
Round 2, Pick 41: Saints select Kool-Aid McKinstry
Current Saint Taysom Hill announces the drafting of Kool-Aid McKinstry, who played with Lions draft choice Terrion Arnold at Alabama. Back-to-back corners taken in the draft as McKinstry was also thought to be taken in the first round, with some even saying the Lions could take him.
Round 2, Pick 40: Eagles go secondary again, take Cooper DeJean
Detroit native and former Wolverine Brandon Graham comes up to announce the drafting of another Big Ten player, Cooper DeJean from Iowa. DeJean was also thought to be a first round prospect, and now Philly may have two of the best cornerback prospects in the draft. We'll see what position he plays in the league.
Round 2, Pick 39: Rams trade up to take Braden Fiske
Oh look, another trade up! Rams move up to take... another defensive tackle! It's Braden Fiske from Florida State to help fill the void from Aaron Donald's retirement, and there's gotta be a record for defensive tackles taken in the draft at this point, right?
Round 2, Pick 38: Titans take T'Vondre Sweat
Warren Moon announces the drafting of the third defensive tackle taken in the second round so far, T'Vondre Sweat from Texas. Sweat's nickname is apparently "Meatloaf" which is a nice fact.
Round 2, Pick 37: Patriots add target for Drake Maye, taking Ja'Lynn Polk
Detroit native and former Michigan Wolverine Michael Onwenu comes out to announce the pick for the Pats, who take wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk from Washington.
Round 2, Pick 36: Commanders shore up defensive line, take Jer'Zhan Newton
Goodell comes back, this time with former Washington cornerback Darrell Green to announce that Green's jersey will be retired by the franchise next season.
Green then announces the next pick, which is defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton from Illinois. Newton was thought to be gone by the first round by many draft experts, and now he'll join players such as Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen on the Commanders defensive line.
Round 2, Pick 35: Falcons trade up, take Ruke Orhorhoho
Oh hey, another trade already! This time, it's the Falcons trading with the Cardinals to move up and take defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoho from Clemson, who played at River Rouge here in Michigan. Shouldn't be as controversial as last night's pick.
Round 2, Pick 34: Chargers trade with Patriots to take Ladd McConkey
Chargers trade up to No. 34 and take wide receiver Ladd McConkey from Georgia, giving quarterback Justin Herbert another young weapon.
Round 2, Pick 33: Bills open Round 2 by selecting former Spartan Keon Coleman
Former Bills player Aaron Williams comes out to announce the 33rd pick, as Bills Mafia can finally breathe with the franchise taking Keon Coleman.
Coleman spent two years at Michigan State before transferring to Florida State for the 2023 season, where he had 658 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in that season.
Intro
Roger Goodell comes out and introduces us to Round 2 of the NFL Draft. Behind Goodell are 32 current and former NFL players with 32 youth football players who will help announce the draft choices throughout the night. From the big screen, J.J. McCarthy introduces the 2023 National Champion Michigan Wolverines to the stage.
For the second night in a row, the draft has reached max capacity in downtown Detroit and will no longer let fans into the area. Now the Buffalo Bills, who drafted down twice in the first round yesterday, are on the clock at No. 33.
Preview
After a historic first round, we head into Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft in downtown Detroit on Friday.
It was a busy Round 1 on Thursday, as a record 23 of the 32 players selected in the first round were from the offensive side of the ball. That was led by six quarterbacks taken in the first 12 picks, including Michigan's J.J. McCarthy going to Minnesota at No. 10.
The Lions also gave the record-setting crowd in Detroit a reason to celebrate, trading up from pick No. 29 to No. 24 to select Alabama CB Terrion Arnold, adding another piece to a revamped secondary. In exchange for the 24th pick, the Cowboys received Detroit's 73rd pick, which means the Lions enter Day 2 with only the 61st overall pick in Round 2.
Lions fans should keep their ears and eyes open, as notable Day 2 picks from the past few years include Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch in 2023, Kerby Joseph in 2022, and Alim McNeill and Ifeatu Melifonwu in 2021. For a recap of every selection from Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft, click here.
Follow along here for live updates from Detroit News contributor Kameron Goodwill.
NFL Draft
▶ When: Thursday-Saturday
▶ Where: Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza, Detroit
▶ Schedule: Rounds 2-3 — Friday, 7 p.m.; Rounds 4-7 — Saturday, noon
▶ TV: ESPN, ABC, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes
▶ Lions picks: 61, 164, 201, 205, 249