NFL writer suggests the Lions trade one of their recent first-round picks ahead of the 2026 season, what they could realistically get
Should the Lions really consider trading Terrion Arnold? One NFL writer thinks so… but the return might surprise you.
We’re still a ways away from the Detroit Lions’ starting up their 2026 season. But we have a lot of time before that, and with that comes a very long time period of people thinking about things. In this case, here’s someone thinking about a big trade for the Lions.
NFL writer suggests the Lions should trade Terrion Arnold ahead of the 2026 season
PFSN writer Jacob Infante wrote about one player every team could trade ahead of the season. In the Lions case, he chose their 2024 first-round pick. Here’s his reasoning:
“After showing some encouraging flashes as a rookie, Terrion Arnold regressed in 2025. Part of that came down to his playing in just eight games, but his PFSN CB Impact Score dropped from 76.2 to 72.4, and he has only one interception in 24 career games. The Detroit Lions have a log-jammed cornerback room with D.J. Reed and Rock Ya-Sin projected to compete outside, as well as fifth-round rookie Keith Abney II. If enough of those guys perform well enough, Arnold could net the Lions some good draft capital.”
Jacob Infante
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On the surface, I get it. If you look at Arnold from afar, it doesn’t look that great. His rookie year, he dealt with a lot of penalty issues, and year two had a rough start and then ended early with an injury.
But if you read between the lines, you see some pretty good play. For example, if you look at how Arnold played after Week 1 last year when he began to settle in, you see a big improvement. He was allowing a passer rating of 52.7. You can go back and look at games against the Bengals and the Commanders, and you see some really good play from him.
The hope from Detroit is that in 2026, he can come in and stay healthy, continue to cut down on the penalties, and really zero in on some of the good play he’s had. If he’s not able to, you can understand why Detroit might begin thinking about its next move at cornerback.
What could the Lions get for Arnold if they did it now?
Probably not a ton. A 2027 fourth-round pick would make the most sense. The issues truly do get in the way of any team wanting to up the ante and offer anything of note. A fourth-round pick isn’t bad, but it’s not nearly enough for the Lions to want to give up on Arnold after just one and a half seasons. The better move is to just give it time.
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