Looking at the NFL debuts of the Detroit Lions’ 2024 rookie class.
It is often said that the cornerback position has the biggest learning curve when transitioning from college to the pros. That was more than evident when watching Detroit Lions first-round draft pick Terrion Arnold play against the Los Angeles Rams.
Arnold started at outside cornerback for Detroit and stuck to the right side of the defense for most of the game. The rookie, in his first career game, was asked to do something many veteran players can not do: cover former All-Pro receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua.
It was clear that Arnold has some adjusting to do with his game. His biggest issue was his usage of his hands downfield. While he might have gotten away with some physicality back in his days at Alabama, the refs weren’t so lenient with the young cornerback in this game. Arnold committed two defensive pass interference penalties against Los Angeles, both of which directly led to the Rams scoring soon afterwards.
Terrion Arnold with another penalty that puts the Rams on the one yard line #NFL pic.twitter.com/e6gT5obRWc
— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhifer) September 9, 2024
Despite the penalties, there was a lot to like about Arnold’s NFL debut. The rookie produced eight tackles on defense and only allowed 57 of LA’s 317 receiving yards in coverage. The biggest point to note for Arnold is that he won’t be facing against offenses like the Rams’ every week. With time, we should expect to see some great things from Detroit’s first-round pick.
Here’s how the other rookies fared in Detroit’s overtime win:
- Cornerback Ennis Rakestraw did not play much defense or special teams, and unfortunately his most notable play was one that could have set Detroit up with a good situation. On a punt from Jack Fox in the third quarter, Detroit had a chance to down the punt around the 1-yard line. Rakestraw overshot his target and ended up batting the ball into the endzone, giving the Rams a touchback.
- Mekhi Wingo’s role on defense was very limited (six snaps), but he made the most of his opportunities. The rookie defensive tackle recorded one pressure on Matthew Stafford in the first quarter. Lined up at the 3-technique, he moved quickly and found an open lane to the quarterback, with the end result sending the Rams to a third-and-6 situation.
- Sione Vaki was a core player for the Lions on special teams but did take two snaps on offense as well. While he did not record any stats in this game, it was interesting to see the fourth-rounder line up at fullback in a two-running back set on offense.
- For long snapper Hogan Hatten, no news is good news. All of his snaps were perfect and both Jake Bates and Jack Fox were able to kick well because of that.
- Undrafted wide receiver Isaiah Williams was active for this game, but did not take the field on offense or special teams for Detroit.
- Fourth-round pick Giovanni Manu was a healthy scratch for the Lions, and unless the offensive line starts dealing with injuries, he’s likely to remain inactive for most of the season as he acclimates to the NFL.
- Versatile defensive back Loren Strickland has been dealing with a thumb injury and did not dress for this matchup against the Rams.
