Terrion Arnold, a rookie cornerback, is substantially richer than he was a week ago. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Arnold signed his rookie deal on June 13, which is worth $14.34 million over the next four seasons. Arnold was the last Detroit Lions rookie to sign with the franchise. But when he spoke to the media at the team’s minicamp, he didn’t seem concerned about signing his contract. Instead, Arnold focused on his own speed.
“When I ran the 40, I pulled my hamstring the day before running the 40, so when people see me step-for-step (running with receivers out here) they’re like, ‘I didn’t know he was that fast,'” Arnold stated through Birkett. “I raced the 40 with a bruised hamstring, but that’s not something you see every day. People don’t know things like that.
Arnold finished in the middle of the pack among cornerbacks at the NFL combine, with a 40-yard sprint timing of 4.5 seconds. However, with his hamstring closer to 100% throughout offseason exercises, Arnold appeared to be faster than his time suggested this spring. According to Birkett, Arnold played with the Lions’ first-team defense as the No. 2 cornerback opposite veteran Carlton Davis during minicamp.
What Rookie Terrion Arnold Will Bring to Lions Secondary
Analysts speculated for two or three months before the NFL draft if the Lions would trade up for Arnold or another top cornerback in the 2024 class. The Lions did move up, but only slightly, from No. 29 to No. 24, showing patience until they couldn’t wait any longer for Arnold.
“Never thought he’d be there, but we couldn’t be happier,” said Lions general manager Brad Holmes on April 25. Holmes also stated that Arnold was the team’s top-rated cornerback in the class.
