2024 Bears Draft Target: Terrion Arnold |
Now that Jaylon Johnson has signed his extension and guys like Kyler Gordon, Jaquon Brisker, and Kevin Byard are locked up for the next few years, the Bears' secondary is in great shape. Not only is this one of the youngest secondaries in the NFL, but it has the potential to be one of the best overall, as all four guys mentioned above are playmakers capable of altering an opponent's passing game.
While the starting four are in great hands for the Bears, the depth behind them comes into question, as the Bears would love to add more overall secondary depth. Tyrique Stevenson is a great depth piece, but it takes more than one guy to build a deep secondary. Earlier this offseason, we discussed the possibility of Kool-Aid McKinstry, Josh Newton, and TJ Tampa as possible depth pieces for the secondary, and today, we will discuss Tarion Arnold. Teammate of McKinstry at Alabama, Arnold not only fits this Bears defensive scheme perfectly but is one of the rare CBs in this year's draft that will come into the league NFL-ready on day one. At 6-0 and 196 pounds, Arnold isn't an intimidating presence size-wise, but he still has the ability to go up against some of the biggest WRs in the league. Also, at just 20 years old, he is one of the younger prospects in this year's class, which makes him more intriguing than some of the other names mentioned. A consensus All-American, with All-SEC and All-Freshman honors, Arnold is the definition of a playmaker, which is something every defensive unit could use. This past season, Arnold registered 63 tackles, 12 passes defended, five interceptions, and one forced fumble. The passes defended and interceptions ranked near the top of the Nation, as teams often regretted going his way. For his entire collegiate career, Arnold made his presence felt for the Crimson Tide defense as he finished with 108 tackles, 20 passes defended, six interceptions, and one forced fumble. Chicago has players capable of being playmakers like him, but you could make the case that none of them are as good as he is when it comes to making plays. One of the best attributes Arnold brings to the table is a lost art when it comes to the CB position. He is not only a great run-stopper but also a tremendous open-field tackler. More often than not, CBs tend to shy away from making tackles consistently, but not Arnold, as he loves to be the one making plays. Ideal for a zone coverage scheme like the Bears', Arnold has shown the ability to play great coverage in either a zone or man scheme, making him versatile and able to adjust on the fly. That versatility makes him as close to a lockdown coverage guy as you can get, as Arnold is a turnover-creating machine that will be a massive upgrade to any secondary unit. Despite his ability to stop the run, Arnold takes poor angles when committing to the run. That means if he doesn't make the play, his opponents have the potential to rip off a decent gain, as he doesn't have the angle to contain them. Perhaps his biggest flaw at this point in his career is his inability to recognize play action quickly enough, which could leave him susceptible to giving up a big play in the NFL. He often gets caught looking in the backfield during those play-action plays, and those extra few seconds often make a big difference. With play-action being such a major part of today's NFL, Arnold knows he needs to fix that. Arnold also needs to work on his man coverage a little bit, as he needs to continue refining his technique to take consistent routes at the WR. Although the Bears secondary unit is loaded with talent and this isn't a high position of need, Ryan Poles has proven he isn't shy about adding depth. Arnold is a starting caliber CB, but would instantly make the Bears secondary unit the top unit in football. What was a need and a possible fit at No. 9 isn't as much of a need now, but should Arnold be sitting there at No.9 or, heaven forbid, even on day two, this is a guy that Poles will be willing to bring to Chicago.
