The Detroit Lions had an ideal scenario when the first 14 picks of the 2024 draft were offensive players. That sent defensive players down the board, and they were able to wait before deciding to move up to No. 24 and get Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold.
After the first round was over, general manager Brad Holmes couldn't hide how thrilled he was to get Arnold.
“I don’t, but overly thrilled with how tonight went,” Holmes said. “All these drafts, you never know how it’s going to go. We knew it was an offensive-heavy draft. That’s what we did know. We didn’t quite know those defenders would get pushed to that point, especially a guy like Terrion, but we couldn’t be more ecstatic or thrilled with how it went.”
From recognizing a moment to address his new fans on the draft stage, to his talent, football IQ and overall mentality, Arnold seems to be a fantastic fit for the Lions.
During his introductory press conference on Friday, Arnold offered more evidence for why the Lions coveted him so much. Surrounded by his family, who was seated aside the podium, he started off thanking the principal in the Lions' organization and what it means that they traded up to get him.
"I don’t take that lightly,” Arnold said. “It’s a sacrifice that they made, and I feel like I’m going to reward them for that.”
Terrion Arnold shows why Lions wanted him
Arnold made a top-30 visit to the Lions, and he talked about forging a relationship with defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn right then.
"When I first came here, he said that he saw something in me,” Arnold recalled. “And I was like, ‘Coach, you probably see that dog.’ So then after that formulating a relationship with him, and being around him I can tell that he wasn’t a pretender. A lot of times, real recognize real.”
"With (Glenn), he's a player-first coach, and I feel like he's going to get the best out of me. He's seen a lot of things playing for 15 years in the NFL and I don't take that lightly. I'm ready to learn from him."
Arnold talked about seeing wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and wanting to take part in a famous part of the star wide receiver's work routine.
I saw St. Brown today, and I just asked him, ‘When can we get on the JUGS (machine)?’ Because I feel like I’m a workaholic. I know that nothing’s gonna be given to me. Even with them trading up to get me, it’s much more, it means more to me with that.”
Whereas the chip St. Brown has on his shoulder comes from being passed over until the fourth round of the 2021 draft, the fuel to Arnold's fire comes from being benched during a game against Tennessee during the 2022 season. Arnold calls that his "Michael Jordan moment that's gonna drive me to that gold jacket."
Check out Arnold's full intro presser below.