Grading the Detroit Lions selection of Terrion Arnold

With a record-setting 14 offensive players drafted in a row to kick off the first round, the defensive talent just kept making its way down the board.

Brad Holmes couldn’t sit and wait around any longer.

The first cornerback to come off the board was Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell at pick No. 22 to the Philadelphia Eagles, but the No. 1 cornerback on the draft board for the Detroit Lions was still there in Terrion Arnold, the First Team All-American from Alabama. But that isn’t just lip service from Holmes in his post-pick presser: Arnold was the top prospect at his position according to ESPN’s Matt Miller, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, and NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah. As far as getting the most value for their pick, Arif Hasan’s 2024 Consensus Big Board confirms that Detroit’s selection of Arnold at 24 was, in fact, the biggest “steal” of Day 1.

My grade: A-

The Lions entered Thursday in the unique position to let the board fall their way and take the best player available, and that was made all that much sweeter when there was a historic run on offensive players. Arnold was a player many considered to have no shot of making it all the way to Detroit at 29, but it was still incredibly surprising to see the player who led the SEC in interceptions (5) and passes defended (17) in 2023 still on the board at 24. His skillset makes him an ideal fit in Detroit, and his versatility (Arnold logged around 25% of his coverage snaps from the slot last season) creates opportunities for defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to get creative in how he can disguise coverages and move pieces of the secondary around. Arnold has a lot of the physical tools required to become a true No. 1 cornerback in the NFL, but his football intelligence and mentality when it comes to the defending the run (90.5 PFF run defense grade led all Power 5 CBs) made him an easy pick for Detroit.

The Lions had just two corners under contract past 2024—Amik Robertson and Steven Gilmore—heading into tonight’s draft, and Arnold not only provides for some long-term stability at the position, but in the here and now, Arnold will compete for the outside corner job opposite of Carlton Davis III.

Which leads to why this pick, which is awesome value for a position of long-term need—for which the draft should really be used for—gets dinged with a minus. Detroit added Carlton Davis III in a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shortly after the start of free agency in March and parted with their 2024 third-round draft pick (92). As things sit now, the Lions have just one pick (61) until they pick again over 100 picks later at No. 164 in the fifth round. The trade cost the Lions the equivalent of a “fringe third/fourth round pick” and with so little capital left, it’s fair to wonder if Holmes, who entered the draft with the fewest amount of picks in his Lions tenure, has got some of that Les Snead attitude in him now that Detroit’s window for contention is wide open.

Arnold was one of the best players available in the draft, and Detroit added a player who could contribute to a defense as soon as September. The luxury of this pick is that Detroit doesn’t need Arnold to come in and shut down one side of the field, and they can afford to bring him along as he’s ready—much like Brian Branch’s aptitude in the slot his rookie year and the team’s plans to get him more involved as a safety in 2024.