The Atlanta Falcons made one of the most surprising picks in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, selecting former Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell with the 16th overall selection.
Being a student-athlete at Clemson gave Terrell an opportunity to play against some of the best receivers in all of college football. In 2019 alone, Terrell was part of a Tigers secondary that was tasked with playing against talented offenses such as LSU, Alabama and Ohio State just to name a few. Despite the difficult nature of these tasks, Terrell was mostly impressive in those match-ups. Terrell concluded his Clemson career with 107 total tackles, 20 pass break-ups and six interceptions.
Some were surprised to see Terrell come off the board so early, but we weren’t. NFL teams love lengthy, athletic cornerbacks and Terrell fits the bill. Standing in at 6-foot-1 with 31-inch arms, Terrell has a prototypical build and frame for an NFL corner. He also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds at the combine, flashing the long speed that should make him an ideal cover man at the next level.
Terrell’s athletic traits line up with what his on-field play showed us. He’s a terrific athlete with clean feet. Terrell is effortless in transition, flashing the fluid hips that allow him to turn-and-run with even the smoothest of receivers. He’s extremely physical in coverage, playing tight and staying in phase with his assignment. Terrell did his best work in press man coverage, showing the mentality, balance and hand usage to continue to play press man at the next level. Terrell does an excellent job challenging the catch point by fighting through the hands of his man. His elite athletic traits make him the ideal click-and-close player.
The Falcons secondary was downright bad last season. They have a lot to prove, but Terrell is joining a young and exciting secondary that features Isaiah Oliver, Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee.
