The Detroit Lions were already excited about Terrion Arnold when they took him in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Now, heading into his second season, Pro Football Focus thinks Arnold could be the next young star to explode in Detroit’s rising defense.
In their recent list of breakout candidates for 2025, PFF spotlighted Arnold as the Lions’ top name to watch — and with good reason.
A Rookie Year That Was Better Than You Think
Arnold’s rookie campaign may not have been flashy, but it was far from a disappointment. According to PFF, he allowed just a 61.2% reception rate when targeted — a top-25 figure among 73 qualifying cornerbacks last season.
For a first-year defensive back facing elite NFL talent week after week, that’s more than respectable. And now that he has a year of experience under his belt in Aaron Glenn’s system, the upside is even more tantalizing.
Why PFF Believes Arnold Is Primed to Pop
“Arnold’s rookie year did not go as planned for a former first-round pick, though it’s not often easy for any rookie cornerback to come into the league and immediately start shutting down NFL talent,” the article states. “Arnold still allowed just a 61.2% reception rate when targeted, a top-25 mark among 73 qualifying cornerbacks. For Arnold, the best is certainly yet to come, as his time at Alabama as a high-end coverage corner would suggest.”
With a year of NFL tape, a healthy offseason, and a much-improved secondary around him — including newcomers D.J. Reed and Avonte Maddox — Arnold is set up to thrive in 2025.
The Bottom Line
The Lions don’t need Terrion Arnold to be perfect — they just need him to keep climbing. And if PFF is right, the 2025 season could be his breakout moment on a defense ready to take another leap.
Recent Comments