The Detroit Lions got aggressive in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, moving up from No. 29 to No. 24 in order to nab Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold — and that move may have prevented the Green Bay Packers from taking him one spot later.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Packers, who were right behind the Lions at No. 25 after the move up, were "firmly on the radar" of Arnold's camp as the draft went into the 20s.
Fowler believes it's possible the Lions may have prevented their division rival from getting the Alabama product.
It's possible the Lions jumped an NFC North rival for a top corner.
As Detroit moved from No. 29 to 24 to snag corner Terrion Arnold, the Packers at No. 25 were among the teams that Arnold's camp had firmly on the radar entering the 20s. The belief is Green Bay had Arnold rated highly.
It's conceivable the Packers could have taken Arnold. After all, the team has had some issues with Jaire Alexander recently and 2021 first-round pick Eric Stokes hasn't panned out thus far, as evidenced by the team declining his fifth-year option.
If that's the case and the Lions ended up stealing Arnold from the Packers' grasp, it makes general manager Brad Holmes' decision to trade up and go get him even better.
The hope is that Arnold will earn a starting role for the Lions in his first season, something he'll look to do in training camp in a few months.
