The Detroit Lions took bold steps last offseason to address their cornerback position. After acquiring Carlton Davis via trade and signing Amik Robertson, they used their first two draft picks on Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw.

While Rakestraw’s rookie campaign was hindered by injuries, Arnold was immediately thrust into action. He led all cornerbacks in man coverage snaps (307), and it took a blowout or an injury for him to play fewer than 90 percent of the Lions’ defensive snaps in any game.

The valuable experience from his rookie season should serve Arnold well. He managed to reduce his penalty issues, with only three flags over the final 14 games (including the playoff game), and even though some metrics didn’t fully reflect it, he improved as the season progressed.

When the Lions cleaned out their lockers following the playoff defeat to the Commanders, Arnold confidently stated, “I know I’ll be the best corner in the league pretty soon.”

Identifying the Lions’ breakout candidate for 2025 is becoming increasingly clear, and Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus made a strong case for Arnold as the team’s top early breakout candidate for the next season.

Arnold posted his best PFF grade of the season in the regular season finale. In the playoff loss to Washington, he allowed four catches on five targets, but one 38-yard reception skewed his numbers, as the other three catches accounted for just 26 yards and 14 total yards after the catch, per PFF.

For the season, Arnold forced the highest rate of tight-window throws among Lions cornerbacks, at 27.9 percent, according to Next Gen Stats.

With Davis likely hitting free agency, Arnold could step into the Lions’ No. 1 corner role and face top receivers much more frequently than his rookie year, if not exclusively.

A breakout player can sometimes come as a pleasant surprise, but Arnold seems poised for a second-year jump that almost feels like an expectation. However, the Lions may need him to exceed those expectations and take a significant step toward fulfilling his bold end-of-season statement.