Media like, not quite love, drafting of Arnold
Draftniks’ opinions vary on Lions’ pick of Alabama CB
The early evaluations are in, and so far, everyone likes the Detroit Lions’ first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
But love? Not quite.
Once all the dust settled, we scoured the internet to see how the top draftniks rated the Lions’ decision to trade up five spots to pick Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold.
Here’s a sample of what they’re saying, grades and all:
USA TODAY Sports: A
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz wanted to give Lions GM Brad Holmes his flowers for making a pick the world should love. According to this writer, Arnold “could be a stabilizing piece in a Detroit secondary that continued to be thrown into flux after Cam Sutton’s domestic violence case and subsequent release.”
The Athletic: A
Former Free Press sports writer Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman couldn’t help but notice that Holmes, true to form, did a little wheelin’ and dealin’ (as he has in his previous drafts in Allen Park). But grabbing Arnold fits the organization.
“Like the Eagles, the Lions landed outstanding value in the 20s — Arnold and (Quinyon) Mitchell were pretty clearly the top two corners in this draft. For Detroit, this was also a perfect fit for the team’s established culture. Arnold is a confident corner who plays with swagger, loves to work, loves tough coaching and loves to win.”
CBS Sports: B
Look, B’s are still good, right? Pete Prisco seems to think so, as this was the grade he gave the Lions for Arnold. And as he pointed out, not only does Arnold fit a need, but the defensive back “gives them another Alabama secondary player to go with Brian Branch, another player with versatility.”
Yahoo! Sports: A
Charles McDonald’s instant grade from Thursday night falls in line what we’ve mostly seen across the board. The writer believes “Arnold has a chance to be the best cornerback on Detroit’s roster from Day 1 and gives the Lions a fortified presence in the secondary as the division adds Caleb Williams and J.J. McCarthy.”
Pro Football Focus: Very good
Well, some folks just have to be different. Instead of grades, PFF (who famously grades every play and player every season), provided a slightly altered assessment. PFF had Arnold rated as their 14th-best player in the draft, calling him “an alpha presence in the secondary who plays with a fearless mentality.” Arnold led the SEC with a 90.6 PFF run-defense grade.
Fox Sports: B
Despite calling it “perhaps a perfect match of this year’s cornerback class for Dan Campbell and the suddenly hyper-aggressive Lions,”
Rob Rang didn’t give the pick a perfect grade. Rang also mentioned that the Lions’ improved pass rush should help Arnold’s transition into the NFL.
Bleacher Report: B
Brent Sobleski provided easily the most thorough assessment we could find, listing Arnold’s strengths as “fluid athlete in and out of his backpedal, physical defender, positional versatility, confidence to spare,” and citing his weaknesses as “inconsistent tackling technique causes him to miss some plays, erratic eye discipline.”