Terrion Arnold, the Detroit Lions’ first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, shared an intriguing backstory about his draft day. The Lions had traded up from No. 29 to No. 24 to select the cornerback from Alabama. However, Arnold revealed on “The Next Round” podcast that he almost went earlier in the draft to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 13. According to Arnold, a Raiders coach told him that the team had to choose between him and Georgia’s tight end Brock Bowers—and the decision came down to a coin toss.
Arnold explained, “The Lions knew that the Raiders might take me. A Raiders coach called me after the draft and said they had a coin toss between me and Brock Bowers, and they went with him.” When the Raiders ultimately chose Bowers, the Lions started working to move up, attempting to leapfrog other teams that might select Arnold. They aimed to get ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had the No. 17 pick before trading it to the Minnesota Vikings. Despite the Lions’ efforts, the Jaguars picked someone else, and Detroit secured a trade with the Dallas Cowboys to select Arnold at No. 24.
However, the Raiders quickly dismissed Arnold’s account. Head coach Antonio Pierce flatly denied that any such call or coin flip occurred. “As soon as the last two QBs went off the board, we said Bowers all the way,” Pierce told ESPN’s Ryan Clark. Raiders assistant general manager Champ Kelly echoed this sentiment, refuting Arnold’s claim. “I can’t confirm that at all,” he told The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. “Terrion is a good player, and we’re excited to watch his career. But we drafted Brock, and we’re thrilled to have him. I don’t think anyone in our draft room felt any other way.”
It’s understandable that the Raiders would want to avoid any perception that they weren’t fully committed to Bowers as their top choice. Most NFL teams would react the same way if their commitment to their first-round pick was questioned. It’s possible that Arnold misunderstood what he was told, perhaps taking a metaphorical “coin toss” literally. Either way, it’s a compelling story, adding some draft-day drama.
The real question of who will have a better NFL career—Arnold or Bowers—will take years to answer. It’s likely that both will make a significant impact on their respective teams.
