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The Detroit Lions traded up to draft cornerback Terrion Arnold, and former Alabama defender Brian Branch was beyond excited to see his former teammate join the team.
The Detroit Lions had a long wait before making their first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, but in the end it was merely a case of delayed gratification.
Detroit traded up to pick No. 24 with the Dallas Cowboys in order to nab elite cornerback Terrion Arnold out of Alabama, and the smart move helped shore up a hole in the defensive backfield.
Arnold becomes the fourth Alabama product to become a Lion over the last three drafts, joining Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs and Brian Branch.
Since they played together before, it was not surprising when Branch took to Twitter to share his excitement about the Lions drafting Arnold.
Terrion Arnold excited to reunite with Alabama teammates in Detroit
As excited as Branch seemed in the moment to witness the selection, Arnold was just as ready to join the Lions and reunite with some of his former teammates in the NFL.
In the moment he was selected, Arnold hammed it up on stage with the excited Detroit crowd. When it came time to meet with the media, he admitted to Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News that he had already re-connected with Branch.
As recently as Tuesday, Arnold was already pondering a potential future with the Lions. When asked by Woodward Sports’ Matt Broder for his thoughts on that, Arnold admitted that reuniting with Branch and Williams would be a blessing.
“It would be exciting, man. Guys like Brian Branch, you feed off of him. He’s a great player. He’s an exciting player to watch. It would be just like being in college again. Jamo, he can take the top off any time. So I mean, those reps and one-on-ones, it would be second to none.”
Now, that dream has become a reality for both Branch and Arnold. It will be fascinating to watch the connection the pair will now go about forming in Detroit.
With only one pick going into the day, the Detroit Lions should hone in on these three positions on Day 2 of the draft.
The Detroit Lions are roundly being declared a big winner from the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, getting the top-ranked cornerback for many analysts (Terrion Arnold) after a trade up to No. 24 overall.
But the Lions also gave up a third-round pick (No. 73 overall) in the deal to get Arnold. Coupled with the March trade to get Carlton Davis from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they now have zero third-round picks and just one pick left on Day 2 of the draft (No. 61 overall). Barring a trade that would add a Day 2 pick, which feels unlikely but is possible, of course.
Barring a trade to add a pick, the Lions really have to hit on their one Day 2, late-second round pick. There should be plenty of confidence they will, but it still has to be done.
3 positions Detroit Lions should hone in on during Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft
The top edge rushers are gone, but there are still some good ones available going into Day 2 (Marshawn Kneeland, Chris Braswell, Adisa Isaac, Bralen Trice, Jalyx Hunt, Jonah Elliss, Austin Booker, Mohamed Kamara).
The Lions signed Marcus Davenport in free agency and a healthy James Houston should be a factor , but adding an edge rusher in this draft should be a priority. Pick No. 61 may be a
Offensive Line
The interior of the Lions’ offensive line is generally older, and one guy in particular may be close to retirement. Plenty of offensive lineman were take in the first round, but only one sheer interior lineman (Graham Barton) was selected. So Jackson Powers-Johnson (Oregon), Zach Frazier (West Virginia), Cooper Beebe (Kansas State), Christian Mahogany (Boston College), Christian Haynes (UConn) and Mason McCormick (South Dakota State) are available.
A trade up to get Frazier, in particular, may make sense for the Lions.
Wide Receiver (“X” Receiver)
The Lions have Amon-Ra St. Brown then a lot of question marks at wide receiver. Everyone expects Jameson Williams to fully emerge, but a draft pick to replace the departed Josh Reynolds immediately/down the road might be nice. In a more narrow sense, the Lions’ offense is missing a big-bodied “X” receiver.
Keon Coleman (Florida State), Troy Franklin (Oregon), Devontez Walker (North Carolina) and Johnny Wilson (Florida State) may be on the radar for Day 2.
