The NFL Draft is always full of surprises, and this year’s draft was no exception. One of the most intriguing stories to come out of the draft was the alleged coin flip between Terrion Arnold and Brock Bowers for the 13th overall pick. But was it really a coin flip, or just a figure of speech?
According to Detroit Lions rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold, the Las Vegas Raiders’ coach called him after the draft and said the team had a coin toss between him and Georgia tight end Brock Bowers before going with the latter player for the 13th overall pick. But now, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce is denying that conversation ever took place.
The Las Vegas Raiders’ draft room
“I didn’t speak with Terrion Arnold,” Pierce said, putting to rest any rumors of a coin flip. Instead, the Raiders were unified in their decision to choose Bowers once their final two quarterbacks fell off their draft board.
But what about the coin flip? Was it a literal coin flip, or just a metaphor for a tough decision? It’s unclear, but one thing is certain: the Raiders were sold on Bowers from the start.
“You try and stick to [best player available] when you can,” Raiders general manager Telesco said post-pick. “It’s harder than you think sometimes because you’re adding to the football team, and we know where we are today. We are looking for today and the future. But a player like Brock, just the scouting staff, where they have him, what they thought about him, what the coaching staff thought. He’s really a pretty consensus guy.”
Brock Bowers, the Raiders’ 13th overall pick
Assistant GM Champ Kelly echoed Telesco’s sentiments, saying the team was in on Bowers and couldn’t confirm a phone call. It’s clear that the Raiders were high on Bowers from the start, and it’s hard to blame them. Bowers was ranked second on the B/R NFL Scouting Department big board, and Arnold ended up going 11 picks later to Detroit.
The NFL Draft is always full of surprises
Regardless of what did or did not happen, both Bowers and Arnold are tremendous prospects who may have long and prosperous NFL careers. And who knows? Maybe one day we’ll see them facing off on the field.
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