DETROIT – The Detroit Lions front office continued to show their NFL draft prowess by moving up five spots to select defensive back Terrion Arnold.
One thing Arnold has in common with other draft picks that the new Lions regime has brought in is their alma mater.
Recommended Videos
For three straight drafts now, the Lions have picked a player from the University of Alabama in the first round, marking the first time the franchise has drafted from the same program in the opening round in its history.
Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, Brian Branch, and now Arnold have switched from representing the Crimson Tide to being part of “One Pride,” and they may be the first to do so.
From the Tide to the Pride@BrianBB_1 @Jahmyr_Gibbs1 @bigsgjamo @ArnoldTerrion @AlabamaFTBL pic.twitter.com/ESSFjd8WZT
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) April 26, 2024
“We knew how we wanted to build our football team, and those guys have been a stalwart powerhouse,” said Brad Holmes when asked about Alabama. “Those guys practice hard, they’re coached hard. It gives you a little bit higher level of comfort.”
No one knows how deep Holmes’ adoration for the school is or if his trend of drafting players from there is a coincidence, but Arnold was the guy for the Lions. 2024 is also the third consecutive draft in which Detroit traded up to snatch an Alabama prospect.
Two years ago, Holmes and the front office swung a deal with the Minnesota Vikings to move from pick 32 to No. 12 overall to ensure the opportunity to select Williams.
On day two of last year’s draft, the Lions jumped three spots in the second round to pick defensive back Brian Branch, who will share the same secondary as Arnold again.
“I remember days at Alabama he would just stay on the field, it would be him and I on the JUGS machine” said Arnold as his introductory press conference. “I can already imagine the jokes; ‘They traded up for this?’”
There will be plenty of verbal jabs thrown between Branch and Arnold when they hit the practice field together later this year, but the level of competitiveness and motivation they will be able to bring out of each other may be even greater.
The Lions most recent first rounder boasts traits like speed, athleticism, and a high ceiling.
However, one thing Arnold may now have over any other prospect in this year’s draft is comfortability in his new home. Not only did he receive the warmest welcome possible when his selection was announced in front of 275,000 people (most of them Lions fans), but reuniting with friendly faces like Williams, Gibbs, and Branch must also feel good.
Even current Lions are aware of how Alabama players are ready for the jump to the NFL.
“They put out guys,” said Amon-Ra St. Brown on Friday. “They have a great system over there. You look at the guys we have here from Alabama, a bunch of guys that played early, made plays, and they’re going to continue to make plays for us.”
That feeling expressed by St. Brown is most likely shared by the Lions brass as well.
Holmes and company are looking for well-rounded human beings who possess the confidence and skills necessary to excel at the highest level of football.
That is what is taught at the University of Alabama and held to a high standard within the Lions organization, which just so happens to have a general manager who has a knack for drafting them.