Detroit, MI
2024 NFL Draft grades: Detroit Lions widely praised for Terrion Arnold pick
The Detroit Lions were able to get the No. 1 cornerback on their draft board, filling a pretty significant need on their roster. Terrion Arnold comes in and immediately transforms a cornerback room that struggled for nearly all of the 2023 season.
On the surface, it looks like a home-run pick for the Lions, considering Arnold was a consensus top-12 talent in the 2024 NFL Draft class. That said, it did cost the Lions significant draft capital to move up from pick 29 to 24, leaving some wondering if Detroit needed to overpay with so many strong defensive players still on the board.
Let’s take a look at the national reaction to the Lions’ pick of Arnold, and the grades they handed out to Lions general manager Brad Holmes.
SB Nation (J.P. Acosta): A+
“This is my favorite pick of the entire first round. Arnold is the perfect fit in Detroit in that defense. He’s a feisty, aggressive corner who can play inside or outside and has the ball skills to immediately be an impact player. Despite trading for Carlton Davis, the Lions still needed help at corner and Arnold can be an instant boost there. This pick is phenomenal.”
Pro Football Network (Cam Mellor): A+
“Though he doesn’t have elite vertical speed, Arnold is an extremely fluid, hyperactive short-area mover who can suffocate WRs in press-man with his corrective athleticism and 32” arms. At the catch point, he’s a natural playmaker, and he’s the exact kind of support presence Dan Quinn [sic] and Aaron Glenn will crave.”
USA TODAY (Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz): A
“Here are your flowers, Brad Holmes. One year after the Lions general manager was roundly criticized for going against the grain with his first-round selections, Holmes makes a pick that deserves instant applause. Arnold is hypercompetitive and seems like the kind of cornerback Dan Campbell would make in a lab.”
The Athletic (Nick Baumgardner): A
“Like the Eagles, the Lions landed outstanding value in the 20s — Arnold and Mitchell were pretty clearly the top two corners in this draft. For Detroit, this was also a perfect fit for the team’s established culture. Arnold is a confident corner who plays with swagger, loves to work, loves tough coaching and loves to win.”
The Ringer (Danny Kelly): A
“Lions GM Brad Holmes does it again. This is an excellent pick for Detroit, who grab my top-ranked corner (and no. 11 overall player) in Arnold here with the 24th pick. Arnold fell a bit, I would guess, because he ran a disappointing 4.50-second 40-yard dash at the combine. But he makes up for a lack of elite speed with high-end instincts and ball skills in coverage—and gives the Lions a plug-and-play starter for their cornerback-needy defense. It didn’t come cheap for Detroit, who surrendered their third-round pick (while getting back a seventh-rounder next year) to move up five spots. But I think Arnold is good enough to justify that cost.”
Yahoo Sports (Charles McDonald): A-
“Detroit trades up to get a quality prospect who was falling down the board at a position of need. Arnold has a chance to be the best cornerback on Detroit’s roster from Day 1 and gives the Lions a fortified presence in the secondary as the division adds Caleb Williams and J.J. McCarthy.”
PFF (staff): Very Good (just below ‘elite’)
“…an alpha presence in the secondary who plays with a fearless mentality. He led all SEC cornerbacks in interceptions and pass breakups in 2023. He also led the conference with a 90.6 PFF run-defense grade. Detroit has officially overhauled their cornerback room with the additions of Arnold, Carlton Davis and Amik Robertson.”
NFL.com (Chad Reuter): B+
“Considered a potential top-12 pick for much of the pre-draft process, he presented good value at No. 24, but we’ll see if trading a third-rounder to Dallas instead of waiting for Arnold’s former teammate, Kool-Aid McKinstry or Nate Wiggins later in the round would have made more sense.”
The 33rd Team (Ian Valentino): C
“The Detroit Lions desperately needed a stud at corner, and Terrion Arnold is a playmaker. However, some of his best play came in the slot where Brian Branch is. Arnold will have to improve his technique to blossom as a full-time outside corner.”
Detroit, MI
The first Detroit Lions OC candidate has emerged
Blough is only two years into his coaching career after retiring from playing after the 2023 season. He has spent the last two seasons as the Washington Commanders’ assistant quarterbacks coach, helping young quarterback Jayden Daniels emerge as a strong franchise player for Washington. Late in the 2025 season, Commanders quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard took the Stanford head coaching job, leaving Blough to serve as the interim quarterbacks coach for the rest of the season.
While backing up Jared Goff in Detroit, Blough was often described by the coaching staff as an excellent backup and strong offensive mind.
“I love the kid, if I’m being totally honest with you,” Campbell said back in 2021. “He’s just a little football player. And when I say that, I mean that in the highest regard. Look, he’s smart. He’s extremely smart. He knows where to go with the football, I love his timing. He knows how to command the huddle, he communicates well and on top of that, he’s a hell of a dude, by the way. He just is. So, he has not disappointed. He’s doing a good job. He’s out there competing with the rest of those guys.”
As of now, this is the only known candidate for the Lions’ offensive coordinator position, but it’s still early in the process. When more candidates emerge, we’ll have a tracker so you can see all of the names in one place.
Detroit, MI
Popular Detroit sports columnist announces stage 4 cancer diagnosis
Longtime Detroit sports radio host and columnist Pat Caputo has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, he announced Monday.
Caputo, a host on Detroit’s 97.1 The Ticket, last published a column on Nov. 7. On Monday, he explained the reason behind his absence.
“For those wondering where I’ve been: I have been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, commonly referred to as a “death sentence” and had two other serious ailments which put me in ICU for several days,” Caputo wrote in a post to X. “It was sudden. I’ve literally been on my back for weeks. Bless you all.”
Caputo, 66, became a well-known personality in Detroit sports media during his time as an award-winning columnist for The Oakland Press from 1983-2020, according to the Detroit Free Press. He also was previously part of WXYT’s “Evening Sports” broadcast, and is an official voter for the Baseball Hall of Fame and college football’s Heisman Trophy award, according to his X bio.
Caputo is nicknamed “The Book” for his impressive memory retaining sports stats and information, according to FOX 2 in Detroit, where he has been a regular guest on its “Sports Works” broadcast.
Caputo’s social media announcement regarding his health drew support from fellow sports media professionals, including Brad Galli, sports director at WXYZ Detroit, and ESPN’s Dan Wetzel and Dave Pasch.
“Pat, we’re praying for [you],” Galli wrote. “Awful awful awful to read this, man. God bless you.”
“Legend. Stay strong my friend. So much support out here for you,” Wetzel posted.
“Book, praying for you my friend. So sorry to hear this,” Pasch wrote.
Detroit, MI
Murder trial starts this week in death of Detroit neurosurgeon Devon Hoover
DETROIT (WXYZ) — Desmond Burks’ murder trial starts this week. On Monday, he attended his pre-trial hearing. Burks faces first-degree murder, felony murder and larceny charges in the death of Dr. Devon Hoover.
The prominent Detroit neurosurgeon was found dead in his attic in April 2023 after Detroit police performed a wellness check. Investigators said he had been shot twice in the head and his body was wrapped in a blood-soaked carpet.
Watch Darren Cunningham’s video report below:
Trial set to begin in Dr. Devon Hoover murder case
At the pre-trial, Judge Paul Cusick set the tone for how he expects the trial to go. It could last several weeks, according to court administration.
“Obviously, there’s always been respect shown to this court by the defendant and attorneys in this case, and all of the witnesses need to show the respect that is going to be required. There will be no outburst from any witnesses or anyone else during the proceedings,” the judge said.
Cusick discussed scheduling for the trial, starting with jury selection Wednesday and outlined restrictions for news media.
“Media is prohibited from showing and/or publishing the faces of any civilian witnesses not employed by the government,” he read.
WXYZ
Those same restrictions were in place during the preliminary hearing.
At the prelim, a number of people testified that they were former lovers of Desmond Burks.
Those men and women described Burks as a hustler and said he would send them money from an unknown Cash App and then have them send the money back to his Cash App.
Watch our coverage of the third day of the preliminary hearing below:
Day 3 concludes in Desmond Burks’ preliminary hearing in murder of Dr. Devon Hoover
Burks is accused of stealing more than $30,000 from Hoover via credit card and fraudulent bank transactions, and Burks allegedly used other people to execute his plan.
Investigators said text messages revealed Burks had an intimate relationship with Hoover and was sometimes paid for sexual services.
Watch our coverage of the second day of the preliminary hearing below:
Mystery backpack focus of testimony during day 2 of Hoover preliminary hearing
Testimony from the prelim also revealed that authorities zeroed in on Burks, in part, through cellphone records and surveillance footage involving Hoover’s stolen truck.
During the trial, we may hear from a close relative of Burks who identified him in surveillance footage during the prelim. The footage allegedly shows Burks walking away from Hoover’s stolen vehicle.
Watch our coverage of the first day of the preliminary hearing below:
Preliminary hearing begins for man charged with killing Dr. Devon Hoover
The jury selection process is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
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