Terrion Arnold is only entering his second season, but he's asserting himself in an atypical way for such a young player.
Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold was thrown right into the proverbial fire last season, with the most man coverage snaps (307) among all NFL cornerbacks (not just rookies). He was also pretty good in man coverage, particularly as he cleaned up his early-season issue with penalties.
After last season ended, Arnold quickly focused on how he can get better with a bold declaration that he'll "be the best corner in the league pretty soon."
Arnold was part of a long list of Lions' players reporters did not see on the field for OTAs. Caution was the word, with no mandatory minicamp due to the team playing in the Hall of Fame Game and the resulting earlier than normal start to training camp.
For Arnold, the on-field reps he got as a rookie can now be meshed nicely with a honed-in approach to mental preparation and film review as he eyes taking a big step in Year 2. Lions' defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend talked about that last month.
"He understands how they’re attacking him, and he found out about himself", Townsend said. "What do I do best? How can I make those strengths stronger, and my weaknesses, what do I do now, this offseason, to make them better?’ Just conversating throughout the process, before he got back."
“Then he grabbed me right now; we were in the office watching a tape just now. He is trying to be the best player he can be, and that’s what it takes. You have to work on your craft. You have to find out how you can get better in the offseason. He’s working (on) that.
Terrion Arnold is taking a leadership role in Lions' secondary
The Lions added D.J. Reed in free agency to replace the departed Carlton Davis opposite Arnold. Entering his eighth season, Reed told a story about getting some advice from the second-year man as he learns the Lions' defensive scheme.
“He (Arnold) hit me up a couple of days ago when I was practicing, and he was basically watching my film for me and telling me what I need to work on,” Reed said during OTAs, via Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit. “And he was correct, too, with what he emphasized I needed to work on. So the next day, I went and worked on that.”
So Arnold is not only looking at his own film, he's watching the practice film other cornerbacks put out (presumably not just Reed's). Credit to Reed for being receptive to Arnold's feedback, and not offended by it like some veterans might be in that situation.
If only behind the scenes up to this point, Arnold is asserting himself the way the Lions' coaching staff surely loves to see as he eyes a full-on breakthrough in his second season.
