Tag: nfl draft

Detroit Lions trade up, draft CB Terrion Arnold in first round

ALLEN PARK — The Detroit Lions traded up five spots to take cornerback Terrion Arnold (Alabama) on Thursday night with the 24th overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft in Detroit.

Arnold, an All-American in 2023, was the second cornerback selected. Quinyon Mitchell (Toledo) went to the Eagles with the 22nd pick. 

Cornerback was seen as an area of need for the Lions, the defending NFC North champs. So it made sense to make the move.

“It doesn’t always match up that way. I know you guys have heard me say a million times we don’t care what the position is, we just want to get the best football player,’’ Lions GM Brad Holmes said. “It happened to match up with the best football player and it was an area where we wanted to add one at some point. We didn’t know if we were going to be able to add one in the first round.’’

Holmes said he started making phone calls in the late teens to move up. He said he knew the draft would be offensive-heavy early, but couldn’t be more ecstatic how it went.

“I never thought that he’d be there, but I couldn’t be more thrilled,’’ Holmes said, mentioning Arnold’s good workout at his pro day at Alabama.

He says Arnold has a “challenge mentality” and “right mindset” which will fit the Lions perfectly.

“It’s the more than the skillset for us,’’ said Holmes who examines how a player is wired.

In the trade, Detroit acquired the 24th-overall and a seventh-round 2025 pick, while Dallas received the 29th overall pick and a third-round pick (73rd overall).

“We feel really good about his floor, but we feel even better about his ceiling,’’ Holmes said.

Arnold was one of the prospects on stage for the draft in front of 275,000 fans, many of them Lions fans.

“I grabbed the mic and said I was home and I meant it,” Arnold said. “You have the best fan base in the NFL.”

Arnold, who turned 21 in March, made a pre-draft visit to the Lions.

“One thing that he showed is how smart he was, competitive, just smart and understanding football were some of the things that stood out right away. His understanding of the scheme, the things he did at Alabama and how he had position flexibility. You saw that when you talked to him and saw his personality, ‘’ Deshea Townsend, Lions passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach, said after the selection.

“He’s a corner, you have to be borderline cocky but you have to be humble at the same time and he is a kid that has confidence, but having that confidence he understands that he has to work. That’s one thing I felt when I talked to him,’’ Townsend added.

Arnold, who is 6-foot and 196 pounds, had a breakout season in 2023 with five interceptions and 11 pass breakups.

“That’s one of the most important things that I look at when we’re watching a corner is can he track and locate,’’ Townsend said. “That’s one thing you want to have the ability to do is find the ball and go create turnovers.’’

Arnold will join three other former Crimson Tide players who have been a good fit in Detroit — DB Brian Branch, WR Jameson Williams and RB Jahmyr Gibbs.

Arnold said it means everything to play with those three. “Those are my brothers,” Arnold said.

“I have so much respect for Nick (Saban) and everything he’s done for that program,’’ Holmes said.

Arnold joins Lions cornerbacks Carlton Davis III, Amik Robertson, Emmanuel Moseley, Steven Gilmore, Kindle Vildor, Khalil Dorsey and Craig James.

The first 14 draft picks were all from the offensive side of the ball. Six of the top dozen chosen were quarterbacks. The Colts chose the first defensive player – EDGE rusher Laiatu Latu – with the 15th overall selection.

The Lions have one second-round pick on Friday at 61st overall. Rounds 2-3 start at 7 p.m. on Friday. The draft wraps on Saturday with rounds 4-7 starting at noon.

Another thing or two …

— Detroit set an attendance record with 275,000 fans in Detroit for the first day of the NFL Draft. The announcement was made by commissioner Roger Goodell. In comparison, the 3-day draft in Kansas City (home of the defending Super Bowl champs) drew 312,000 last year.

— Hall of Famers Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, along with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Aidan Hutchinson, Jared Goff and fan Eminiem, opened the draft on the stage at Campus Martius with Goodell. St. Brown led the first Ja-Red Goff chants. It’s the first NFL draft held in Detroit.

Detroit Lions reveal new uniforms with a black alternate at Dan Campbell’s request

DETROIT — The black Detroit Lions jerseys have returned in part thanks to coach Dan Campbell.

In 2021, before he had coached his first Lions game, he made a request to Rod Wood, team president.

“We were in the draft room and he said, ‘Hey, Rod when can we get the black jerseys back?’ I said, ‘I’ll make you a deal, when you win the division, I’ll bring the black jerseys back. I went out on a limb and thankfully he delivered.’’

Campbell  had worn the black jerseys when he was a Lions tight end, so to him they were a throwback. 

So the coach held up his part of the deal when the Lions clinched the NFC North on Dec. 24.

And on Thursday night, the black jerseys (which were actually two years in the making) were introduced as the new alternate uniform at a reveal party at Ford Field for season ticket holders. Also revealed were new home and road uniforms with bold numbers and details that stand out. Campbell was welcomed with a standing ovation 

“The black ones seem to be the hit for a lot of people. Kerby (Joseph) was the perfect person to wear it too, we kind of lucked out with him volunteering,’’ Wood said. “The black with the black or we can wear blue pants with it, it’s going to be awesome.’’

Joseph ran onto the stage during his turn to “model” the uniform and hammed it up. It’s what the defensive back does. In fact, Joseph has been known to do a flip out onto the field. Wood advised him against it for the big reveal.

The blue numbers are a standout on the black jerseys.

“Honestly blue is my favorite color, but I think this blue is unique. It really pops. When we go out on the field it will pop,’’ Joseph said. “I feel this blue really stands out, I think it’s the boldness. See how big the numbers are?’’

What’s so special about black jerseys? “They’re like black Air Force 1s. We’re atomic when we wear these,’’ Joseph said.

Defensive tackle Alim McNeill modeled the road white uniform which has the word “Detroit” written above the number on front, while tight end Sam LaPorta was the first on stage with the new home blue jersey. Along for the ride were three Lions legends — Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson and Chris Spielman.

On the inside collar are embroidered words: One Pride, Motor City and 313. Also, even the white and black jerseys are blue inside the collar. Because after all, Detroit is a blue collar town. It’s a motto that served the Lions well last season.

(The NFL draft, which will take place in Detroit, starts at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 25, with the first round. Rounds 2-3 begin at 7 p.m. on April 26 and the draft winds up starting at noon on April 27.)

Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes sticks with his draft process; it’s the player not the position

ALLEN PARK — Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes’ success with his first three NFL drafts has been unquestioned with five Pro Bowl picks. It’s a good haul and one reason why the Lions are legitimately mentioned in the same sentence as the Super Bowl.

So for anyone paying attention, Holmes has had the same philosophy and just tweaked it along the way.

Certainly the Lions have needs at cornerback, edge rusher and offensive guard. It’s not just that Holmes won’t tip his hat about who he will draft with the 29th overall pick next Thursday, it’s that he doesn’t know.

It’s all about the player more than the position. And with the 29th pick, it will be who is still available.

“I think we make sure we’re convicted on every single pick. You guys have heard me say, it’s about the right football player. As long as we’re convicted on the football player then you sleep good at night,’’ Holmes said at a pre-draft press conference on Thursday.

“That’s a lot of work that goes into getting convicted on the right player. We just had 30 visits, medicals … There’s a lot of stuff to get to ‘this is the right guy.’ We’re still looking at tape now,’’ he added.

The process started a year ago to get to this point. Holmes opened the presser thanking everyone on his scouting team along with coach Dan Campbell and the coaching staff.

“It’s a lot that gets to that conviction as long as Dan and I are really aligned and convicted and we’re so ‘this guy fits,’’’ Holmes said.

He said he was recently asked about drafting an outside corner with the first of the Lions’ eight picks.

“No, we draft the right football player we’re convicted on. If the outside corner is the right football player we’re convicted on then we would take that player. We don’t really get anchored on positions, we don’t really get anchored on windows,’’ Holmes said.

“There’s only one draft a year, there’s a lot of work that goes into it, that’s our recipe we kind of look for guys we’re convicted on that are right fits for us. We don’t get into the premium positions. You can pick another position that doesn’t mean the guy is the right fit,’’ Holmes said.

You get the drift. Media and fans can and will question his picks through the three-day process. It’s a rite of spring. But know this, he only drafts guys who he’s convinced are the right fit.

“I know you were asking after the last draft how come you guys didn’t pick another position No, it’s not another position, it’s who, which player, you don’t just pick whatever the premium position is, you don’t just pick that player because he plays that position, no he has to be the right football player and that’s what we’ve stuck to,’’ Holmes said. “It’s worked so far.’’

No argument here.

Holmes certainly talks about how the process has evolved in four years. When he arrived in Detroit, there were needs all over the roster.

“So we could go for the most talented guy, the guy that really fit the most. We could’ve gone in so many directions, That resulted in a lot of young players having to play early and got a lot of experience,’’ Holmes said.

He beefed up the roster in free agency — it was easier with free agents wanting to play for Campbell and the Lions.

“Really with the way the roster is now you have more flexibility to not be anchored into a need (at the draft). We try to do the best we can in free agency in terms of plugging holes and pulling out the depth chart and doing all those things,’’ Holmes said. “And we feel that we did a great job in free agency and we’re in position to go wherever we want to go. … We’ve always said the best player, but it’s even more emphasized now.’’

(The NFL draft, which will take place in Detroit, starts at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 25, with the first round. Rounds 2-3 begin at 7 p.m.. on Apri 26 and winds up starting at noon on April 27.)