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Take a bow, Detroit: The Lions — and more than 200,000 fans — definitely didn't disappoint
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- Take a bow, Detroit: The Lions — and more than 200,000 fans — definitely didn't disappoint
Absolutely stunning.
That's the only way to describe what happened on Thursday night in the Motor City.
From the crazy scene in Detroit on the opening night of the NFL draft to the result for the Detroit Lions , as they traded up for Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold , snatching one of the best cornerbacks in the draft while filling a massive need.
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The night was absolutely … perfect .
"I don't want to say speechless," said Lions general manager Brad Holmes, who looked, well, stunned. "But overly thrilled with how the night went."
Let's start with the scene.
On a magical, wild night in Detroit, Eminem set the tone : "Detroit! What up? It's here. Make some noise for the Detroit Lions ! Let's go!"
Terrion Arnold, from Alabama, was announced as the Lions 24th pick in the draft in the main theater on Thursday, April 25, 2024 for the first day of the NFL Draft in Detroit.
Aidan Hutchinson brought the hype: "Hey Detroit, let's turn up tonight, baby. Let's get it!"
Calvin Johnson brought the Detroit colloquial: "I got just one thing to say. Whatupdoe!"
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SPELL CHECK: Are you wondering what the term 'Whatupdoe' means? It's distinctly Detroit.
Barry Sanders sprinkled everything with typical understated class: "Thank you for showing the world how we do it here in Detroit, great job guys."
But Amon-Ra St. Brown — Mr. $120 Million — spoke the truth: "Yo, yo — what up Detroit? Hey, this is crazy. I can't believe it. But before we get off the stage, I need to hear one thing: ' JA-RED GOFF , JA-RED GOFF.' "
Right on cue, Lions fans chanted along with him: "JA-RED GOFF! JA-RED GOFF!"
Welcome to the 2024 NFL draft ... Motor City-style .
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This was a celebration of Detroit, as a record 275,000 people filled the city in Honolulu blue (and maybe a couple other colors).
This was a celebration of Grit and Dan Campbell and Sheila Hamp and Holmes for turning around this franchise.
And if there was one overall lesson from this crazy night, it was this: Lions fever is growing, not diminishing.
I mean, think about it. You wanna know how big football is in Detroit? More than a quarter million fans showed up to cram together in a massive crowd and watch 31 other teams (give or take) pick new players.
WHAT THEY SAID: TV analysts love Lions' NFL draft pick DB Terrion Arnold: 'I'm home'
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Just stunning.
And then it got truly wacky. Because this year's NFL draft opened with six quarterbacks taken in the first 12 picks, tying the all-time first-round record — set in 27 picks in 1983. That was so significant in the big picture, setting the stage for what would happen next.
Because a bunch of good players — more specifically, talented defensive players — were pushed down the draft order.
So Holmes went to work, trying to move up.
"I didn't think he'd be there," Holmes said. "Really, I thought we would have to settle for a different player at a different position."
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There was no settling on this night.
Because all of those quarterbacks were taken in the first 12, because so many defensive players dropped to the back of the first round, something amazing happened.
Arnold became available.
And Holmes went up and got him .
"We couldn't be more ecstatic or thrilled how it went," Holmes said. "We just kind of thought we would be out of the mix for a lot of those guys, especially him. Especially him because he was our best — he was our highest-rated corner."
There is an old adage about the NFL and the draft: Judge teams by what they do, not what they say.
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But I have a new one: Judge the Lions by the level of the hug.
After the pick, TV cameras zoomed into the Lions war room. Holmes hugged Hamp, and then he bro-hugged Campbell .
If there's one thing we know, when Campbell and Holmes are bro-hugging, it's a good clue the Lions got their guy.
And the Lions' guy is a pure ball hawk — he snagged five interceptions last season for Alabama — who isn't afraid of tackling. He'll slide right into a starting spot for the Lions.
"He fits us like a glove," Holmes said.
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Think about the offseason that Holmes had, improving this defense.
He plugged a hole in the middle — quite literally — by signing defensive tackle DJ Reader to a two-year deal (worth $27.25 million).
And he improved the Lions' most glaring need — that woeful secondary.
He signed Amik Roberston, a corner, to a two-year deal, then traded with Tampa Bay for another corner, Carlton Davis III , and just drafted one of the best cornerbacks in the draft.
At worst, Arnold going to be a solid starter. At best? Man, he could be a star.
"We feel really good about his floor, but we feel even better about his ceiling," Holmes said. "We had a pretty — let's call it 'significant' line underneath him to the next guy in our opinion. It wasn't — we didn't really have a lot of guys that were up there even in that first-round bucket at that position, but he was one of the small few that was even up there in consideration for us. But it was a line."
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As luck would have it, Arnold was one of 13 potential picks who attended the draft, letting him meet more than 200,000 of his new best friends in a hurry.
He walked onto the stage, grinning ear to ear. He was dressed in a snazzy suit and a bow tie — my man has got style and a big personality to match.
CARLOS MONARREZ'S DRAFT GRADE: Detroit Lions' 1st-round deal for Alabama CB Terrion Arnold fills their biggest need
"It's something special going on here in Detroit," he said. "I feel like they just need to take that one extra step, and I think we could do it this year."
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Yep, he fits like a glove.
What a night, Detroit.
Just stunning.
Well done.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com . Follow him @seideljeff . To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions' 1st-round pick perfect dessert for sweet football feast
