5 things to know about Lions first-round pick CB Terrion Arnold

On Thursday night, the Detroit Lions made former Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold their first-round selection.

Here are five things to know about the newest Lions defender.

1. He’s a ball-hawk

In the past two seasons, Arnold produced 26 passes defended and six interceptions in a total of 25 games (21 starts). Averaging more than a pass defended a game is ridiculous enough, but he also led the entire SEC in both passes defended (17) and interceptions (five) for the 2023 season.

“His ability to naturally find the ball is something he has,” Lions defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend said on Thursday night.

2. He followed receivers into the slot

Typically, Alabama has cornerbacks stick to a side in his defense. But last year, Arnold was playing so well that when the receiver on his side (left) motioned into the slot, Arnold would follow him there. Per PFF, he played about 24.4 percent of his snaps at the nickel position.

That said, Arnold still very much projects as an outside cornerback who should immediately compete for a starting job in Detroit. Even former Alabama coach Nick Saban believes Arnold’s best position is on the outside.

Speaking of which...

3. Nick Saban called him ‘a special guy’

Saban joined the ABC draft coverage this year, offering a unique perspective on Arnold live on TV. Here’s that clip:

Here’s the full quote:

“This guy’s a special guy. He’s got a great personality, everybody loves him. He started the whole LANK thing—’Let all Naysayers Know.’ I said that right? And he sort of followed it and really committed himself to being the best player he could be, being a leader on the team. This guy is Ms. Terry’s favorite. They’re close. He comes to our house and plays rummikub. He sits right beside me in the defensive meetings every day.”

Note: If you want to know more about LANK, you can read here.

4. The kid can hoop

Arnold’s first love was basketball and he talked to Alabama coaches about pursuing both football and basketball in college, but ultimately decided to stick with football.

5. He’s an awesome person

Arnold described himself as a humble person, and his actions back that up. Prior to the draft, Arnold told a story on “Good Morning Football” about how a high school janitor impacted his life and he wanted to pay it forward.