With the level of talent the Detroit Lions have on both sides of the ball, it's going to be tough for most of the team's 2024 NFL Draft picks to make a big impact in Year 1.
The player with the best chance to make his presence felt in 2024 is first-round pick and cornerback, Terrion Arnold, who is expected to start on the boundary opposite Carlton Davis in his first season in the NFL.
Knowing that, Pro Football Network's Ian Cummings believes Arnold could make a "massive impact" in his first season in the NFL. He lists defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo and cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. as the runner-ups.
The Detroit Lions entered the 2024 NFL Draft with a transparent pallet of needs. Everyone knew cornerback was at the top of the list, and they left Round 1 with arguably the best CB in the class: Alabama’s Terrion Arnold.
Arnold should immediately upgrade Detroit in one of the most important defensive positions. He’s explosive, fluid, instinctive, and incredibly physical and proactive in both coverage and support — with the rare short-area mobility to suffocate WRs in man.
The Lions sported the sixth-worst pass defense in the NFL last season. Things must improve in that area if Detroit wants to put itself in the best possible position to succeed and finally win a Super Bowl.
Davis is immediately an upgrade over anything Detroit had at the cornerback position in 2023, and Arnold, who was widely considered one of the best corners coming out of college this year, has the potential to be one, also.
The problem is that there's no telling what a rookie will do in his first year. The good news is, with Davis in the fold, the Lions just need Arnold to be a solid No. 2. Doing that will provide a huge boost to Detroit's defense, and anything more will just be icing on the cake.
