Broncos interview potential top corner in class at NFL Combine

INDIANAPOLIS — Terrion Arnold doesn’t fill a pressing Broncos need. At cornerback, they have a recent All-Pro in Pat Surtain II, a nascent young slot cornerback in Ja’Quan McMillian and 2023 third-rounder Riley Moss, who general manager George Paton has identified as a starter in the NFL.

But the Alabama product has a good chance to be the first cornerback off the board in a draft class that could produce as many as six first-rounders at the position. And at No. 12, he might represent a great value if he falls past the first 10 picks because of a potential emphasis on offensive selections. And cornerback is one of the core four spots at which premium draft positions are typically best used, along with edge rusher, pass-protecting tackle and, of course, quarterback.

So, it came as no surprise that the Broncos would conduct a formal interview with Arnold, who told media Thursday that he had such discussions scheduled with 25 different teams.

FOR TERRION ARNOLD, PLAYING FOR BRONCOS WOULD BE SPECIAL …

… and it’s not because Arnold has any kind of special connection to Denver. He’s a native of Tallahassee, Fla., where he was raised through high school.

But the Broncos do have fellow Alabama product Pat Surtain II.

“Playing next to Pat it would be like playing next to Kool-Aid,” Arnold said, citing his Alabama teammate Kool-Aid McKinstry, also a first-round prospect in this year’s class.

.@AlabamaFTBL CB Terrion Arnold says he has met with the Broncos. He talks about that — and what it would be like to play alongside Pat Surtain II: pic.twitter.com/M2mDybcRce

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) February 29, 2024

“You would have somebody who you could look at at the next level who could challenge you push you to be better. He’s already proven in the NFL. So, I would love to do that if I had the opportunity.”

Arnold never played alongside Surtain at Alabama; they missed each other by a year.

“Everything Pat does, he does it extremely well. So, with that being said, I used to go back and watch his old tape in how he practiced,” Arnold said. ” At Alabama, we like to say, ‘Pat is a robot.’ No matter who he’s guarding — it could be Devonta Smith, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle — he’s gonna step-step, get his hands on him, and he never panics.

“I mean, Pat, he’s the best cornerback in the game right now.”

Arnold hopes he can go there — or at least be the top corner in a terrific class.

“I actually talked to him around this time coming up,” Arnold recalled. “We were at Jordan Battle‘s draft party, and I told Pat as I was watching the draft party with him, I said, ‘Coming out next year, I’m gonna be the best corner in the class.'”