Lions' Arnold: 'If my mom was a receiver, I'd jam her into the dirt'

Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold is taking no prisoners heading into his rookie season.

"If my mom was a receiver, I'd jam her into the dirt," said Arnold on Friday, according to Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News. "And she knows that."

The first-round pick was attending rookie minicamp alongside other new Lions players, which included fellow cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr.

Arnold expressed his excitement about forming a long-term pairing with Rakestraw, who was selected in the second round.

"They drafted both of us, so I would say (that) us just coming in here and being the young guys ... we're going to be here for a long time," said Arnold, according to team reporter Dannie Rogers. "We're going to grow together, we're going to excel together, take our losses together (and) take them on the chin."

The Lions moved up to No. 24 to secure Arnold - who had been widely considered a likely top-15 selection - giving up No. 29 and a third-round pick. The former Alabama star was the second cornerback off the board behind Quinyon Mitchell, who went to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 22.

Arnold established himself as a top prospect in his final two seasons with the Crimson Tide. He finished his college career with 74 total tackles, six interceptions, 20 pass breakups, and one forced fumble.

Fresh off a surprising NFC Championship Game appearance, the Lions have spent significant resources this offseason to improve a secondary that was often the club's Achilles' heel in 2023.

Detroit also acquired veteran cornerback Carlton Davis III, a 2024 sixth-round pick, and a 2025 sixth-rounder from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a 2024 third-round draft selection.

Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.