When Terrion Arnold fell further than he should have in the first round of the draft, the Detroit Lions seized the opportunity by trading up five spots to acquire him. Even better, the decision to acquire Arnold appears to have prevented the division rival Green Bay Packers from selecting him one round later.
Some great defenders, such as Arnold, slid down the draft board as the first 14 picks were offensive players. Many analysts considered him to be the best cornerback in this year’s class, so getting him at pick 24 appears to be a spectacular steal.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Jacksonville Jaguars strongly considered Arnold at selection No. 23. They chose LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas over a quality cornerback class. As a result, an alternate plan to trade up almost became essential just before the Lions did so for Arnold.
But the Jaguars going another direction the pick before the Lions struck a deal to trade up for Arnold is nothing compared to this.
Terrion Arnold reveals what an AFC team told him about their first round choice
Arnold appears on the podcast “The Next Round” on Tuesday. He discussed the draft, specifically mentioning a team that did not select him.
“(The Lions) knew that the Raiders, there was a possibility that they took me. Actually, the Raiders coach, they called me after the Draft,” Arnold said. “They were like, ‘We had a coin toss between you and Brock Bowers, and landed on him.’ “
“The Raiders coach” implies it was Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce who told Arnold about the coin toss, and it may have been a purely figurative comment about Las Vegas’ decision at No. 13. Not that he’d admit it, but Raiders assistant general manager Champ Kelly would not confirm the “coin flip” happened when asked on Wednesday.
Arnold went on to discuss landing with the Lions.
I was like, ‘Oh wow.'” After the Raiders passed, the Lions thought, ‘Okay, we’ve got to get there before Jacksonville.’ They were attempting to trade up to 15, 16 to get me. It’s simply one of those situations in which you go where you’re wanted. That fit, the fans, the schemes they run, and even just being around players like (former Alabama teammates) Jamo (Jameson Williams), Jahmyr (Gibbs), and especially Brian (Branch) was a dream come true for me.”
Fortune smiled on the Lions when Arnold fell far enough for them to make a decent deal to move up and acquire him. A figurative coin flip by the team that calls a gambling paradise home appears to have helped them get the opportunity.
