Could the Broncos pair the former Alabama corner with Pat Surtain II in their secondary?

One prospect who may interest the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft is former Alabama Cornerback Terrion Arnold. He is a 6-0, 189-pound cornerback who is expected to be one of the first, if not the first cornerback off the board during the draft. NFL Network’s lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has Arnold ranked as the 8th overall prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft and has him as his top cornerback in the entire draft.

Arnold was at Alabama for a total of three seasons but only played the past two seasons. During that span, he turned into a key member of that Alabama defense and one of the top cornerbacks in the country. During those two seasons, Arnold totaled 108 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 6 interceptions, 20 pass deflections, and 1 forced fumble. This past season, he totaled 63 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 5 interceptions, 12 pass deflections, and 1 forced fumble.

Player Profile

Height: 6-0

Weight: 189 pounds

40-time: 4.5 seconds

Arm Length: 31 5/8 inches

Hand Size: 8 7/8 inches

Vertical Jump: 37 inches

Broad Jump: 10’9”

Film Room

Scouting Report

Strengths

• Has ideal size, build and length you look for in a CB
• Good short-area quickness, quick feet, and is a twitchy athlete
• Smooth and fluid hips which he can flip effortlessly
• Despite a 4.5 40-time, his long speed is there on tape and is able to recover and undercut passes
• Thrives in press-man defensive schemes
• Good instincts and doesn’t fall for double moves very often
• Great ball skills and competes hard for the ball
• Physical corner who can jar the ball loose
• Very willing tackler who will lower his shoulder and is not afraid of contact
• Good character prospect who will win over teams and coaches during interviews
• Projects to be a CB1 and future All-Pro corner pretty quickly

Weaknesses

• Needs to improve as a zone cover corner
• Leaves too much cushion when playing off-man or cover 3
• Needs to improve his wrap-up tackling skills
• Sometimes plays a little too over-aggressively
• Can struggle high-pointing the ball in 50/50 ball situations against bigger receivers

Terrion Arnold RAS

What other analysts are saying about Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold

NFL Network’s lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah - Link

Arnold has ideal size, play speed and instincts for the position. He plays both outside and inside at the nickel. He is effective in press and off coverage. He is fluid to open up and mirror in press. He has plenty of speed to stay in phase on deep balls. From off coverage, he has a quick and smooth pedal, and he doesn’t waste steps in his plant drive. He is also effective playing with a side turn and anticipating routes before cutting them off. He has outstanding ball skills, and the production (five interceptions and 17 passes defensed in 2023) reflects his ability. He is a physical, face-up tackler. He doesn’t miss tackles in space. Overall, I struggled to find much to criticize in Arnold’s play, despite his lack of experience at the position, having arrived at Alabama as a highly regarded safety prospect. He has all the tools and traits to be a Pro Bowl-caliber cornerback.

NFL.com’s draft analyst Lance Zierlein - Link

Twitchy man-cover corner with outstanding athletic ability and the skill set to bring in ball production at the professional level. Arnold possesses average size but plays with a desired level of aggression and competitiveness in both phases of his job. He’s fast and agile to match up against a variety of receiver flavors on the outside or in the slot. Arnold could squeeze routes tighter from off coverages and limit the yards after catch with a slightly different approach. His closing burst allows him to meet throws at the catch point with a natural feel for playing angles and attacking the receiver’s hands. Arnold will make mistakes with positioning and lose focus at times, but the athletic traits and nose for the ball create quality upside for him to be positioned as a CB1 within a couple of years.

Does Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold make sense for the Broncos at 12th overall?

If the Broncos pass on a quarterback, Arnold could easily be the top player available on their board. He is an excellent cornerback prospect who has all the tools and traits to become an elite starting corner in the league. He would pair nicely with fellow former Alabama corner Pat Surtain II in the Broncos secondary and give them one of the better corner duos in the league. When you have to play Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert four times a season, you need a strong secondary.

At the Combine, Arnold even said he would love to play alongside Surtain II in Denver.

While this would be an excellent addition to the Broncos secondary, I don’t think it will realistically happen. As I will keep saying, the quarterback is the large elephant in the room that cannot be ignored. They’re going to be aggressive in their pursuit of whoever that might be and likely bypass other top prospects. If they’re unable to land one of the top guys, it seems unlikely that they would stick at 12th overall and will look to trade back to acquire more picks. This would remove Arnold from the discussion since he is expected to be a top 15 selection.

If the Broncos stay at 12, then he becomes a legit option for the team. Sure, they could look to improve their pass rush, and add a playmaker or blocker, but having a strong secondary is key when you face Mahomes and the other talented quarterbacks in the AFC.

I personally would not be upset with this pick but the big quarterback need clouds any non-quarterback prospect for the Broncos.