The 2024 scouting combine is right around the corner, which means that it’s time to take a more critical and detailed look at this year’s draft prospects. With that in mind, we here at Touchdown Wire are doing as many thumbnail scouting reports as possible before the combine gets going on February 29. We will of course be doing more comprehensive reports before the draft, but here’s a good starting point.
Next man up is Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold, who locked things down quite nicely for the Crimson tide last season. He allowed 41 receptions on 79 targets for 441 yards, 250 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, five interceptions, 13 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 50.7. Arnold can play just about any route really well, though he’ll need some development on quick, angular routes when he’s in off coverage. When he’s in press, good luck getting anything by him.
PLUSES
— Outstanding man/match corner with step-for-step ability and excellent ball skills to catch and break up passes all over the field
— Hyper-aggressive playing personality when it comes to timing the ball; he thinks it’s more his than yours if you throw it in his area
— Short-area agility and transition speed make him a real pain in tight coverage
— Love him in press coverage where he’s velcroed to the receiver all the way though
— Has an great sense of how to disrupt receivers off the line, which is crucial in today’s NFL with so much quick game
MINUSES
— Had a bad stretch mid-season where Tennessee and Arkansas just killed him with comebacks
— Can be a step late to diagnose and react; you’d like to see him get going just a hair quicker at times
— Grabby at times, which NFL officials might ding him on based on their own competence (ha)
— Needs to work on closing to the target in off coverage
The dings are minor here, though I think that Arnold would be better in a defense with more press coverage than not if you want him to be a Day 1 alpha.
Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
PLUSES
— Outstanding man/match corner with step-for-step ability and excellent ball skills to catch and break up passes all over the field
— Hyper-aggressive playing personality when it comes to timing the ball; he thinks it's more his than yours… pic.twitter.com/z78muCu2L0— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) February 23, 2024
