With the 2024 NFL Draft quickly approaching, Jaguars Wire is breaking down top prospects at positions of need for Jacksonville via individual scouting profiles.
Our series begins with Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold, one of the players most frequently projected as the Jaguars’ first-round pick of the selection ceremony.
NFL Combine measurements and positional percentiles via MockDraftable. Scouting reports by Jaguars Wire.
CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama
Height/weight: 5-foot-11 3/4-inches (56th percentile), 189 pounds (34th percentile)
Notable NFL Combine results: 31 ⅝-inch arm length (59th percentile), 76 ¼-inch wingspan (62nd percentile), 4.51-second 40-yard dash (43rd percentile), 1.54-second 10-yard split (51st percentile), 37-inch vertical jump (63rd percentile), 129-inch broad jump (87th percentile)
College stats (three seasons, 25 games): 108 tackles, one sack, 7.5 tackles for loss, six interceptions. 26 passes defended, one forced fumble
Scouting report: From Tallahassee (Fla.) John Paul II Catholic, Arnold was one of the top-rated safety prospects in the 2021 recruiting class but transitioned to cornerback and nickel corner upon enrolling at Alabama. He redshirted his freshman season before making seven starts in 2022, then started every week in 2023, en route to First-Team All-American and All-SEC honors.
Arnold logged 1,058 snaps at outside cornerback and 356 snaps at nickel or as a box defender over his 25 appearances with the Crimson Tide, with 557 and 205 in 2023, respectively. He is an adequately sized defensive back prospect with great explosiveness, downhill speed and aggression to compensate for average-to-above-average long speed and a slimmer frame. Arnold’s plus-wingspan suggests he can continue to add weight, and his current size didn’t limit him in press coverage against SEC wide receivers in college.
Arnold is polished regarding man coverage and pattern-matching from experience in Nick Saban’s Alabama scheme, and his production exploded as a full-time starter in 2023, when he led the Crimson Tide with five interceptions and 12 pass breakups. His 6.5 tackles for loss ranked fourth on the team. According to Pro Football Focus, Arnold allowed a career coverage completion percentage of 52.7%.
Arnold projects as a capable NFL outside or nickel cornerback with turnover-creation upside room for continual improvement and physical growth, having only turned 21 years old in March.
In Jacksonville, Arnold could offer valuable depth, rotational playing time and the potential to start immediately at either spot. He’d certainly have a path toward a first-team role in the future when veteran defensive backs head toward free agency.