There are still many milestones to reach before the 2024 NFL Draft. Currently, former Philadelphia Eagles scout Daniel Jeremiah has his eye on Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. as the potential pick at No. 22 overall if Howie Roseman decides to stay put.

Jeremiah, who is now the lead draft analyst for NFL Media, compared the redshirt junior to Darius Slay, the five-time Pro Bowl cornerback for Philadelphia who has been a standout in the NFL for years.

“He’s my third-ranked cornerback in the draft,” Jeremiah said during his annual pre-scouting combine conference call.

Among the prospects at the cornerback position, only Alabama’s Terrion Arnold and Quinyon Mitchell from Toledo are ahead of Rakestraw, who could address Philadelphia’s needs with Slay and James Bradberry aging, and younger players Kelee Ringo and Eli Ricks still developing.

While Mitchell may be the preferred choice for Roseman if he opts for a cornerback early in the draft, Jeremiah believes that a move up in the draft would be necessary to secure Mitchell following his impressive performance at the Senior Bowl.

Rakestraw makes sense as the pick at No. 22, and Jeremiah, who scouted for the Eagles from 2010 to 2012, pointed out that Slay would be a great mentor for Rakestraw.

“Kinda has some Slay to him. Kinda built similar to Slay,” Jeremiah said of the redshirt junior. “Really tough, feisty, and plays with a ton of energy, which I love and I think they would appreciate in Philly.

“Passionate, energetic, fluid, fast, and tough.”

In his first top-50 prospect list, Jeremiah ranked Rakestraw as the 24th overall prospect regardless of position.

“Rakestraw is a rangy, fluid cornerback who plays with energy and toughness,” Jeremiah wrote in his preliminary scouting report. “He is physical in press coverage, stays attached to receivers underneath and vertically, flips his hips smoothly, stays on top of deep routes, and locates the ball.”

Jeremiah noted that Rakestraw could improve in finishing plays with the ball but praised his strong run support skills.

“Players with this profile at his position typically transition well to the next level,” Jeremiah concluded.

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Clemson CB Nate Wiggins is another player to watch, as Jeremiah expects him to rise in the draft process due to his size, speed, and fluidity.

Iowa’s Cooper DeJean is also a prospect that could interest the Eagles, offering versatility to play multiple positions on defense.

Most draft analysts believe the Eagles will focus on selecting an outside cornerback, making the trade-up options Arnold and Mitchell, with Rakestraw and Wiggins as potential choices at the position.