Burning Question: Are Detroit Lions Better Without Terrion Arnold?

Terrion Arnold’s days in the Motor City could be numbered after his arrest June 24 on kidnapping and armed robbery charges.

The 2024 first-round pick has failed to cement his status as a No. 1-caliber cornerback through his first two NFL seasons. 

Additionally, Arnold's legal issues are not expected to go away anytime soon and could ultimately lead to the demise of his pro football career. 

Consequently, expect the likes of Roger McCreary and Rock Ya-Sin to compete to supplant him as Detroit's starting outside corner opposite D.J. Reed. And as doom and gloom as that scenario might sound, it might just work out for the best for Dan Campbell’s squad.

The biggest reason why: McCreary and Ya-Sin have both been more productive NFL corners than Arnold. 

McCreary, most recently a member of the L.A. Rams, barely reached the qualifying number of snaps for cornerbacks in 2025, with his 345 snaps ranking 104th out of 114 qualified corners. However, his Pro Football Focus overall mark (69.2) and coverage grade (69.7) did rank in the top 30 among players at the position.

Meanwhile, Ya-Sin is a savvy veteran who already possesses knowledge of Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard’s unit.

Even more importantly, Ya-Sin has proven to be a versatile cover corner, lining up both on the outside and in the slot. In his debut campaign in Detroit in 2025, he recorded a 62.8 PFF overall mark along with a coverage grade of 64.8.

As for Arnold, he’s been anything but consistent since making his NFL debut in 2024. Time and time again, he’s struggled in coverage and battled the injury bug, suiting up for just 24 of a possible 34 regular season contests. 

And when he has played, he’s been one of the worst cover corners in the NFL. In fact, this past season, the Alabama product earned a lowly overall grade of 52.6 and an equally dismal coverage mark of 53.8 from PFF. In case you were wondering, those marks ranked 97th and 92nd, respectively, among 114 qualified corners. 

Plain and simple, Arnold hasn’t come close to living up to the bill of a first-round pick. And before his arrest, there was already serious discussion regarding whether the 23-year-old deserved a starting job in Sheppard’s secondary. 

And at this juncture, the argument can be easily made that the Lions will be better off – both on the field and inside the locker room – without Arnold in 2026.