2024 NFL Draft prospect profile: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama

Is Arnold the top CB in the class?

The 2024 NFL Draft is expected to be very deep at the most important positions on the field. There are going to be talented prospects at every position for every scheme run in the NFL.

Alabama’s Terrion Arnold is commonly held to be at the top of a very good cornerback class. But is he? He’s put a lot of good play on tape in a sophisticated Alabama defense, which obviously speaks well of his abilities. However, he isn’t quite the kind of athlete that his peers are, and that could hurt him in the eyes of some teams.

The New York Giants may be in the market for a cornerback to start opposite Deonte Banks in their new defense. Could Arnold’s versatility and football IQ appeal to them?

Prospect: Terrion Arnold (3)
Games Watched: vs. Texas (2023), vs. Ole Miss (2023), vs. LSU (2023), vs. Georgia (2023)

Measurables

Kent Lee Platte (@mathbomb) | RAS.football

Strengths

• Quickness
• Fluidity
• Football IQ
• Instincts
• Zone coverage
• Ball skills

Arnold has a solid blend of size and athleticism to go with great football IQ and mental processing.

Arnold isn’t a big cornerback at 5-foot 11 ¾ inches, 189 pounds, but he also has 31 ⅝-inch arms, so he has enough size to match up with receivers on the outside. He also has quick feet and fluid-enough hips, which allow him to match up with most receivers athletically.

But what really stands out about Arnold’s game is his football IQ. He’s a smart, fast processing, and instinctive corner who’s rarely caught out of position and often positions himself to “get lucky” in coverage. Arnold does a great job of communicating in the pre-snap phase and often anticipates the play well. He gets good depth in his zone drops and is able to avoid schemed traffic, allowing him to stay in position to close explosively.

Arnold trusts his eyes and has a very quick downhill trigger. Arnold flies to the ball and does a great job of playing receivers hands to break up passes as the ball arrives. He also positions himself well to come down with tip-drill interceptions. He had 12 passes defensed and 5 interceptions this past season.

While Arnold isn’t a great run defender, he’s willing and effective. He’s able to keep himself clean when taking on blocks, position himself to force runs back inside, and is willing to be physical when he has to make a tackle. He doesn’t quite have the mass or strength to be an enforcer, but Arnold is generally effective at getting the ball carrier on the ground.

Weaknesses

• Long speed
• Size
• Man coverage

Arnold is a good athlete, but lacks great long speed. That can limit him when covering particularly fast receivers and there were instances on his tape when he was forced to hold to avoid being beaten vertically.

Arnold also doesn’t quite have the quick-twitch athleticism necessary to play man coverage on a routine basis. He has some slight inefficiencies when opening his hips and changing direction or transitioning from backpedal to sprinting down the field. His movement skills aren’t quite as effortless as ideal. Arnold can struggle to stay with receivers through sharply breaking routes.

Game Tape

(Arnold is Alabama CB number 3, with short sleeves and a slim wristband on his left wrist.)

Projection

Arnold projects as a starting cornerback at the NFL level. He should have enough scheme diversity to play in most defenses in the NFL, but Arnold will likely be best in a modern zone defense.

Zone defenses will allow him to keep his eyes in the backfield and make full use of his instincts and football IQ, while also putting him in position to come away with takeaways.

Arnold isn’t a perfect cornerback, but he has the skills and traits to play in the NFL for a long time. He shouldn’t have to wait long to hear his name called.

Does he fit the Giants?
Yes

Final Word: A first-round value