Terrion Arnold Listed as Lions Breakout Candidate

Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold could be in for a big second NFL season.

The 24th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, Arnold experienced bumps along the way in his first campaign. He struggled early in the year with being too hands-on, drawing several pass interference flags. In his first four games, he drew a total of eight penalties.

However, by season's end he appeared to be much more comfortable in the Lions' defensive scheme, which emphasizes plenty of press-coverage. He had just three penalties in his final 11 regular season games and was credited with a pass breakup in five of the team's last seven games.

With a strong finish and a mentality built to handle the ups and downs that NFL corners face, Arnold could be poised for a strong second season. In fact, he was listed as the Lions' breakout candidate by Pro Football Focus for the 2025 season.

"Arnold’s rookie year did not go as planned for a former first-round pick, though it’s not often easy for any rookie cornerback to come into the league and immediately start shutting down NFL talent," Jonathon Macri wrote. "Arnold still allowed just a 61.2% reception rate when targeted, a top-25 mark among 73 qualifying cornerbacks. For Arnold, the best is certainly yet to come, as his time at Alabama as a high-end coverage corner would suggest."

The Lions have overhauled their secondary over the offseason, signing a trio of veterans in D.J. Reed, Avonte Maddox and Rock Ya-Sin. That group, paired with Arnold and fellow returners Ennis Rakestraw, Amik Robertson and Khalil Dorsey, give the Lions solid cornerback depth.

Arnold is expected to be the team's No. 2 cornerback, but could wind up being a shutdown option for the defense if he continues to grow.

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