Nick Saban was all smiles each time an Alabama player was drafted on Thursday, but it’s clear he holds a special place in his heart for Terrion Arnold.

The Crimson Tide’s All-America cornerback was drafted No. 25 overall by the Detroit Lions, the third Alabama player taken in the first round. Saban called Arnold “a special guy,” as much or more for his personal magnetism as his play on the field.

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“He’s got a great personality,” Saban said during ABC’s NFL draft coverage. “He started the whole ‘LANK’ thing — ‘Let A Naysayer Know.’ And he sort of followed it and really committed himself to being the best player he could be, being a leader on the team.

“This guy is Ms. Terry’s favorite. He comes to our house and plays rummy. He sits right beside me in the defensive meeting every day.”

Arnold, who wore a pink suit with silver floral inlays and LANK embroidered inside the jacket to Thursday’s draft, was a first-team All-American and All-SEC pick as a redshirt freshman in 2023. He could play multiple defensive back positions in the NFL, Saban said.

“Terrion has all the tools to be a really good corner,” Saban said. “He can play man-to-man, he can play the ball in the deep part of the field and he’s a good tackler. He’s aggressive, he can play in the slot. I think he can also play nickel. … He can play press and closer to the line. He’s a good tackler. So all the critical factors for a DB, he’s really good at.”

Arnold was a five-star recruit out of John Paul II Catholic School in Tallahassee, Fla., in 2021, but redshirted as a freshman and did not become a full-time starter until midway through the 2022 season. That’s another positive checkmark in regard to his character, Saban said.

“I’ll tell you want, I love this guy, because this guy improved so much from last year,” Saban said. “All the guys that get frustrated with their circumstance and transfer or whatever — he stuck it out, he stayed there. He never once talked about getting in the portal and he just worked his tail off. … The guy did a great job and improved so much and I’m so happy to see him end up where he is right now.”

Arnold’s former teammates JC Latham and Dallas Turner were also picked in the first round Thursday. Latham went No. 7 to the Tennessee Titans, while Turner was selected No. 17 by the Minnesota Vikings.