The Dallas Cowboys traded down five spots in the draft on Sunday, allowing the Detroit Lions to move up to the 24th pick.
The Lions used the pick to select Alabama defensive back Terrion Arnold in front of a ravenous home Detroit crowd of more than 275,000 fans who packed the streets of downtown Detroit to watch the draft.
The Cowboys received Detroit’s first-round (No. 29) and third-round (No. 73) picks in return and sent a 2025 seventh-round selection back to the Lions.
The move allowed the Lions to add one of the most coveted defensive backs in the draft to fill a team need. A former safety who converted to cornerback at Alabama, Arnold is an aggressive athlete who’s strong in coverage and as a tackler.
He makes plays at the catch point and is capable of creating turnovers in pass coverage and as a tackler. Arnold joins a young Lions team that just made the franchise’s first NFC championship since 1991. He has the ability to make an instant impact and the upside of developing into a No. 1 cornerback. He introduced himself to his new fanbase on the NFL Draft stage.
For the Cowboys, they add a third-round pick that could be used to address multiple needs while sacrificing a premium in the first round. Owner Jerry Jones vowed to go “all in” this offseason before engaging in a surprisingly quiet free agency period.
