Burning Question: Is Terrion Arnold Lions' No. 1 Cornerback?

He's noticeably put in the time and effort this offseason to do so, too, per Lions defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend.

“I think any time you get a chance to have as many reps as he had, it helps you,” Townsend told reporters earlier this offseason. “The only way you can get better is getting a chance to rep. He understands how they’re attacking him, and he found out about himself. ‘What do I do best? How can I make those strengths stronger, and my weaknesses, what do I do now, this offseason, to make them better?’ Just conversing throughout the process, before he got back.

“Then he grabbed me right now; we were in the office watching tape just now. He is trying to be the best player he can be, and that’s what it takes. You have to work on your craft. You have to find out how you can get better in the offseason. He’s working (on) that.”

It's a positive sign from Arnold, a player whom Detroit believes can be an ultra reliable member of its secondary in 2025 and beyond.

His defensive back mate Amik Robertson is one of Arnold's many teammates who is bullish on the second-year pro's prospects. Robertson, for one, believes that Arnold, along with fellow 2024 draft pick Ennis Rakestraw, will be much more productive this upcoming season. 

“It only helps the team get better, man, not only for theirself but other guys,” Robertson said of the potential impact of Arnold and Rakestraw elevating their games. “Myself, D.J. Reed, (Brian) Branch, Kerby (Joseph), it helps guys like that elevate their play, too. When you got the younger guys playing at a higher level, we have no choice, as the vets, to play at a high level. So, Terrion, he does his work behind the scenes. I expect, like I said before, those two (Arnold and Rakestraw) to take huge jumps.”

Reed, the Lions’ prized free-agent acquisition of this offseason, will enter the upcoming season as the team's No. 1 cornerback on the depth chart. He has the track record to warrant the status, whereas Arnold currently does not.

Yet, it doesn't mean Arnold can't grow into the role. He's already proven to Reed that he possesses the necessary acumen to play the position and help others suit up at the position in the Lions’ defense, too. 

“He hit me up a couple of days ago when I was practicing, and he was basically watching my film for me and telling me what I need to work on,” Reed told reporters during OTAs. “And he was correct, too, with what he emphasized I needed to work on. So, the next day, I went and worked on that.”

Did Arnold play like a No. 1 corner in 2024? No. But, does he possess the necessary intangibles to become a high-level corner one day (and sooner than later)? Yes. And the Lions are banking on it happening in 2025. 

Knowing Arnold's immense work ethic and football IQ, it's certainly logical, too, to expect it to occur in his second season as a pro.

More from Lions OnSI