ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell likes the options he has in the secondary, shifting Brian Branch to safety and bolstering the group with rookie cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw, along with veteran Carlton Davis.
Arnold, a first-round draft pick, broke up a downfield pass to wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown early during practice on Saturday at training camp.
Lining up with the likely starters, he has made eye-opening plays during the first four days of camp.
“You know that’s somebody who ain’t afraid of nothing. He’s going to challenge your best receiver. As long as he keeps having that mentality he’s going to be good,” Branch said on Saturday. The two were teammates at Alabama where Branch first saw Arnold’s “dog mentality.”
Arnold’s energy on the field also carries over into the meeting rooms.
“I know when I came in as a rookie I had so much energy. Just bringing that energy into the room - especially Terrion. It’s amazing to have him in there and I’m excited to see him grow. I’ve been in his shoes, I’m excited to see what he can do,” safety Kerby Joseph said.
Drafting cornerbacks in the first two rounds showed how important it was for the Lions to beef up their defensive backfield.
“T.A., he’s probably the most confident, humble guy that I know,” said veteran cornerback Emmanuel Moseley who has been lining up in the slot. “He’s very, very confident. His swagger on the field is great. But he’s humble, he wants to come to you in the meeting room, he wants to learn, he takes criticism really well.”
Rakestraw, a second-round pick, has also caught Campbell’s attention. He loves that the rookies have retained and improved on the coaching points from the spring workouts.
“Those guys are a work in progress but (early in camp) and the spring we like where they’re at,” Campbell said.
Veteran cornerbacks Davis and Amik Robertson were signed in the offseason, while Moseley is looking to make a comeback after two anterior cruciate ligament surgeries. Safeties Ifeatu Melifonwu, who had six starts in 2023, and Joseph, who started 15 games, have returned.
The competition is fierce in the secondary.
“That’s what every team would hope for. You want that at every position, you know the ability to have guys that do multiple jobs, that do have versatility,” Campbell said.
Moseley said the competition brings excellence.
“If you don’t have a DB room with a lot of players who can compete it’s probably not going to be a really good DB room,” Moseley said. “But I think we have that this year, and everyone is out there competing, not only are we competing we’re celebrating with each other, we’re happy for each other’s success and that plays a big part.”
The mix of personalities in the secondary room is no accident.
“We’ve injected a lot more personalities and ability into that room. It’s really been a total transformation if you will,” Campbell said. “There’s certainly another level of confidence in that room that I feel those guys are feeding off each other. You can feel it defensively too. I think it’s all encompassing. I feel our defense, their confidence is up, we know what we can become.”
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