Lions Trade Up To Select Terrion Arnold With The 24th Overall Pick
The Detroit Lions traded up to the No. 24 spot with the Dallas Cowboys to bolster their secondary with Alabama defensive back Terrion Arnold. Arnold intercepted five passes last season and yet he is not afraid to defend the run and initiate contact. The Lions were near the bottom of the pack with 375 total points allowed and total passing yards allowed with 3,846. The Lions saw this need and already began to address it with the free-agent acquisition of Amik Robertson from Las Vegas and the selection of Arnold will improve on the work done in the offseason.
The Philadelphia Eagles concluded pre-draft visits with Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold and Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean this week. Philly is clearly interested in adding defensive back talent to its defense after allowing 252.7 passing yards per game last year (second-worst). The organization holds the No. 22 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which is right in the range where Arnold and DeJean could be selected. Arnold, a 2023 first-team All-American, racked up 20 pass deflections and six interceptions over the last two seasons. DeJean totaled 13 pass deflections and seven interceptions in his final two collegiate campaigns, and he averaged 13.1 yards per punt return. Both players are considered top cornerback prospects in this cycle, so Philadelphia would make a great landing spot for either one as James Bradberry (30 years old) and Darius Slay (33 years old) have likely seen their best days in the NFL.
The Indianapolis Colts need help at cornerback, which is why Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold makes sense for them with the 15th overall pick in the first round of this year's NFL draft. Arnold emerged as a star for 'Bama in 2023 with five interceptions and 17 pass breakups. The 6-foot, 190-pounder is more athletic than teammate Kool-Aid McKinstry but only ran a 4.50-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine in February. "Kept getting better and better. Texas A&M ran by him earlier in his career, but he really developed. He's a dawg, a three-position player corner, nickel and safety," one coach said. Arnold is not likely to garner tons of attention if he's taken in the first round later this month, but he'd be a big upgrade for Indy's secondary.
