The Lions don’t have a ton of needs, but cornerback was obviously one. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has had to work in defensive schemes he’d rather not have to because of the talent he had (or didn’t have), but there’s a reason the Lions traded up with the Cowboys to get here. Arnold is perhaps the best man/match cornerback in this class, and he will erase receivers in press coverage. That’s a big win for Glenn, and for the Lions.
A four-star recruit out of John Paul II High in Tallahassee, Florida, Arnold was a football and basketball star in high school, and at one point was convinced that basketball was his primary sporting avenue before Charlie Ward, who had a similar dual profile at Florida State and was Arnold’s high school basketball coach, convinced him to stick it out. It was the wise choice, as Arnold committed to Alabama over offers from Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Penn State and Texas A&M.
Arnold locked things down quite nicely for the Crimson tide last season. He allowed 41 receptions on 79 targets for 441 yards, 250 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, five interceptions, 13 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 50.7. Arnold can play just about any route really well, though he’ll need some development on quick, angular routes when he’s in off coverage. When he’s in press, good luck getting anything by him.
PLUSES
— Outstanding man/match corner with step-for-step ability and excellent ball skills to catch and break up passes all over the field
— Hyper-aggressive playing personality when it comes to timing the ball; he thinks it’s more his than yours if you throw it in his area
— Short-area agility and transition speed make him a real pain in tight coverage
— Love him in press coverage where he’s velcroed to the receiver all the way though
— Has an great sense of how to disrupt receivers off the line, which is crucial in today’s NFL with so much quick game
MINUSES
— Had a bad stretch mid-season where Tennessee and Arkansas just killed him with comebacks
— Can be a step late to diagnose and react; you’d like to see him get going just a hair quicker at times
— Grabby at times, which NFL officials might ding him on based on their own competence (ha)
— Needs to work on closing to the target in off coverage
The dings are minor here, though I think that Arnold would be better in a defense with more press coverage than not if you want him to be a Day 1 alpha.
Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) February 23, 2024
PLUSES
— Outstanding man/match corner with step-for-step ability and excellent ball skills to catch and break up passes all over the field
— Hyper-aggressive playing personality when it comes to timing the ball; he thinks it's more his than yours… pic.twitter.com/z78muCu2L0
