Lions' Terrion Arnold: I'm 'Under So Much Pressure'

Lions' Terrion Arnold feels the pressure to perform at a high level.

Lions CB Terrion Arnold practices catching during the organized team activities in Allen Park on Thursday, May 23, 2024. / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK

Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold will enter the 2024 season with a great deal of pressure riding on him.

Arnold, the No. 24 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, is expected to start opposite veteran corner Carlton Davis come Week 1 against Matthew Stafford and the L.A. Rams. Plus, the rookie defensive back is being counted on to help revamp Detroit's beleaguered defensive backs room from a year ago.

As a team, the Lions allowed the sixth-most passing yards (4,205) and the sixth-most touchdowns through the air (28) in 2023.

Admittedly, Arnold is feeling the pressure to perform at a high level – and immediately – for a team with serious Super Bowl aspirations.

“If you asked me how football was going… I would say good,” Arnold posted on TikTok. “But, on a deeper level, I would say this 21-year-old kid is under so much pressure to perform and if my team doesn't win a ring, it's considered (a) failure. But, I'm built for it and ready.”

Arnold, an Alabama product, posted an impressive stat line in his final collegiate season: five interceptions, 17 passes defensed, a forced fumble, a sack and 63 total tackles, including 6.5 for loss.

Additionally, in 471 coverage snaps a season ago, he allowed a passer rating of just 50.7. He also was a highly proficient run defender, recording a Pro Football Focus run-defense grade of 90.6.

For his efforts, he earned first-team All-American honors from the Associated Press and an overall PFF grade of 88.4.

Terrion Arnold reflects on his feelings @detroitpodcast pic.twitter.com/hk8dlCyDEt

— Detroit Lions OnSI (@AllLionsFN) July 9, 2024

Arnold wasn't the only cornerback that the Lions selected in this past April's draft. They also drafted Missouri's Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in the second round (No. 61 overall).

Oftentimes, rookie cornerbacks struggle getting acclimated to defending NFL receivers on a weekly basis. Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn doesn't believe it'll be a cakewalk for Arnold or Rakestraw, either. But, he believes they'll be up for the challenge. 

“Terrion comes from Alabama. The thing is, he’s not playing Georgia every week,” Glenn told reporters earlier this offseason. “Once you get into the NFL, you’re playing a top-notch player every week, and he has to understand that. So, there are no weeks off. ...You’re playing a quality NFL receiver every week, and he’s going to get his lumps. Just like Rakestraw, they’re going to get their lumps. But, I do know this, the mentality of those guys, they are fighters, and that’s one of the reasons why we got them.”