From the moment he was drafted in April, literally on the draft stage, Terrion Arnold, Detroit and the Lions have felt like a fantastic fit. Since then, two quotes from him have particularly stood out to show it.
In a pre-draft interview with Justin Melo of The Draft Network, here's what Arnold said about his preference for playing man coverage.
" I prefer man coverage. It’s special to take another man’s willpower away from him in man coverage."
After the first workout of Lions' rookie minicamp in May, with Mother' Day looming, here's what Arnold said about the competitive streak his mom instilled in him.
"If my mom was out here right now and lined up across from me as a receiver, I would jam her into the dirt. That’s just my mindset — and my mom knows that. Football-wise, that’s just the way I think, and the way that I was brought up.”
Terrion Arnold is fully embracing the expectations around him
Expectations are that Arnold will immediately be the Lions' starting outside cornerback opposite Carlton Davis. He certainly seized the role by all accounts at OTAs, and social media posts since then have shown him putting in plenty of extra work before training camp.
Arnold is of course going to be a very important player for the Lions this year. But he seems built to carry those expectations and rise to them, with no lack for confidence. He has picked up an instant nickname, rooted in his wearing the No. 0 and his "cold" competitiveness.
On a recent TikTok post, here's what Arnold posted.
"If you asked me how football was going… I would say good, But, on a deeper level, I would say this 21-year-old kid is under so much pressure to perform and if my team doesn't win a ring, it's considered (a) failure. But, I'm built for it and ready.”
Arnold clearly fits right in with teammates who are not shying away from the heightened expectations around the Lions right now. But it's also no surprise, based on everything we've seen so far.
