Get to know Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold, the Lions' first-round draft pick

Terrion Arnold is a tough, physical cornerback and the No. 1 corner on The Athletic's big board. He is the oldest of three children and was a two-sport star in high school, playing basketball and football. He was a four-star recruit in the 2021 class. Arnold (6-feet, 189 pounds) was the nation's No. 3-ranked safety prospect by the 247Composite and the No. 12 overall recruit in Florida.

Arnold, who turned 21 in March, was initially more of a basketball recruit but began to attract attention from major programs like Alabama, where he would eventually attend college, during his junior year at John Paul II in Florida.

He profiles as a scheme-versatile corner who's proficient in zone and can match up against any type of receiver, using his athleticism and fluidity to line up all over the field. He possesses great length and ball ability, as demonstrated by his 13 pass breakups and tied for the SEC lead with five interceptions during the 2023 season.

Perhaps most importantly, he is terrific in run support. He made 50 tackles last season while being credited with 21 run stops for the Crimson Tide.

As a converted safety, Arnold is still relatively new to the position. He was redshirted in his true-freshman season (2021) but played 677 snaps the following season, when he made seven starts and was named 2022 Freshman All-SEC by the league's coaches. Arnold's versatility was showcased during his redshirt-sophomore season (2023), as he took 32.6% of his snaps from the slot or in the box.

The notable areas for improvement include Arnold's press coverage. He can sometimes struggle to disrupt receivers at the line, which hurts him on inside routes. While Arnold is a great and willing tackler, scouts believe his recovery skills will need work at the next level.

Arnold has drawn comparisons to All-Pro Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie. The Athletic's Dane Brugler has called him "a carbon copy of (Second-Team All-Pro Chicago Bears cornerback) Jaylon Johnson." NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah had Arnold as the No. 9 player on his entire big board.

The Terrion Arnold File

Birthplace: Tallahassee, Florida

High school: John Paul II

College: Alabama

2023 stats: 79 targets, 41 receptions, 441 yards, five interceptions, 13 pass breakups, 50.7 opponent passer rating when targeted

Accolades: AP First-Team All-American (2023), AP First-Team All-SEC (2023), Freshman All-SEC (2022)

Quotable: "Overall, I struggled to find much to criticize in Arnold's play, despite his lack of experience at the position, having arrived at Alabama as a highly regarded safety prospect. He has all the tools and traits to be a Pro Bowl-caliber cornerback," Jeremiah said in his final Top 150 Prospects List.

Said Brugler in his annual draft guide, The Beast: "Overall, Arnold offers an ideal blend of cover athleticism and competitive makeup, with the ball skills to make plays at every level of the field. He is scheme-versatile and has the talent to work inside or outside. He can be an NFL team’s No. 1 cornerback, offering a skill set similar to that of the Chicago Bears’ Jaylon Johnson."

Combine measurements

40-yard dash: 4.50 (19th out of 29 cornerbacks); 20-yard 2.59; 10-yard 1.52

Vertical: 37 inches (15th out of 27)

Broad jump: 10 feet, 9 inches (8th out of 26)

nbianchi@detroitnews.com

@nolanbianchi