One Detroit Lions Player Whose Job Is Very Safe After 2026 NFL Draft

The Detroit Lions did add cornerback help in the NFL Draft, but it was later than some expected.

In the fifth-round, the Lions found excellent value with the selection of Arizona State’s Keith Abney II. Listed by many draft analysts as a top-100 prospect, the Lions were able to select him with the 157th overall pick on the third and final day of the Draft.

Abney played plenty of outside corner in college, but may be best suited to slide inside at the NFL level. This is good news for the Lions, and specifically for one former first-round pick in Terrion Arnold.

Heading into his third season, Arnold has had some ups and downs after the team traded up to acquire him in the first-round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He was widely regarded as one of the top cornerbacks in his class, but has some difficulty adjusting to the NFL through his first two campaigns. Arnold also has dealt with injuries, as he was limited to eight games in 2025.

There were some questions about Arnold’s future earlier this offseason, as he was linked to a kidnapping and armed robbery incident in Florida by a court order issued by a judge in Florida. However, Arnold and his representatives have maintained his innocence and the Lions have stood behind him in this matter.

Because of this uncertainty, there were some who believed the Lions may look to target a cornerback early in the Draft who could possibly step into a starting role as a boundary corner.

However, the Lions elected to target the trenches early before drafting Abney in the fifth-round, and and as a result it appears as though Arnold has a path to returning to top billing in the secondary opposite of D.J. Reed.

Last season, Arnold notched his first-career interception but finished with a a 52.6 overall Pro Football Focus overall defensive grade. He also finished with a 47.1 run defense grade and a 53.8 coverage grade. The coverage grade was higher than his rookie year, while the run defense grade was seven points lower than his debut season.

In two seasons, Arnold has allowed 83 receptions for 1,123 yards on 139 total targets in his direction. He’s allowed six touchdowns, and an opposing passer rating of 96.9.

Another big part of Arnold’s struggles acclimating to the NFL has been his issues with penalties. He was one of the NFL’s most penalized players in his rookie season, as he was whistled for 11 penalties including eight times for pass interference.

In 2025, Arnold was penalized six times including four defensive holding calls and two defensive pass interference calls. Arnold has the ability to be effective in Detroit’s man-coverage oriented defense, but will need to be better in limiting these penalties.

The Lions have Reed as the top cornerback, with Arnold set to be the No. 2 when healthy. Along with him, the team has players such as Ennis Rakestraw, Roger McCreary, Rock Ya-Sin, Khalil Dorsey and Abney. There will be competition, but Arnold has the talent and ability to win the job.

He’ll need to be more consistent to keep it, but it’s clear the Lions are confident in giving him another opportunity to do so.

As a result, there is work for Arnold to do to assert himself as a key part of the team’s future. He’ll need to be more effective to cement himself as part of the team’s long-term core, but after the Draft it’s clear that the team is confident that he will be able to do so.

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