Meet Alabama's Terrion Arnold, the Most Confident Player at 2024 NFL Scouting Combine
INDIANAPOLIS — Terrion Arnold hasn't taken his first NFL snap yet and he's already planning to become one of the best players in league history. The former Alabama cornerback plans to own a gold jacket one day — "and not the one you can buy."
Arnold, the No. 14-ranked player in the 2024 NFL Draft class per Pro Football Focus (PFF), is easily the most confident player in Indianapolis for the scouting combine.
It's not arrogance. It's not cockiness. Simply confidence. That's a big reason why he's projected to be a high selection at the 2024 NFL Draft in April.
"My mindset," Arnold responded, when asked what sets him apart from other prospects. "It doesn't matter who I'm going against, every time I line up, I come to dominate."
Arnold finished the 2023 season at Alabama with 40 tackles, 12 passes defended, and five interceptions. He was a first-team All-SEC and All-American selection.
Arnold has always been a confident player — a quality most have when playing for the Crimson Tide. But the cornerback pointed to a specific moment in 2022 that completely altered his mindset.
"At Alabama in 2022, my redshirt freshman year, after we played Tennessee, I got benched," Arnold said. "And I've been telling NFL teams that right there, it changed everything for me. I like to say I had my Michael Jordan moment.
"I write it down every day. Eli Ricks, that's my brother. But I mean, when I got benched and replaced by him, it motivated me. I write it down every day and I refuse to ever let that happen again."
That type of attitude would be beneficial for any team in the NFL. You know what else all 32 teams would love? Having a player who believes he can be a factor in a number of ways.
"When I'm on the field, I feel like I can play any position. Especially in the secondary," Arnold said. "When I line up in the slot, I know I'm kinda like an outside linebacker. I have to feel the run, set edges, take on blocks, and I have to cover.
"When I'm outside at corner, I'm thinking about guarding my man, making plays for my defense, and getting the ball back."
Arnold is projected to be the No. 15 pick to the Indianapolis Colts in the latest mock draft from ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. In two months, we'll see if that's where the Alabama product starts his career.
And, if all goes according to Arnold's plan, it'll be ending in Canton, Ohio.
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