Cleveland Browns NFL Draft Profile: CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson

What an Expert is Saying

Lance Zierlein at NFL.com:

Avieon shares the same bloodlines and coverage temperament as his brother, A.J., a first-round pick of the Falcons in 2020. Avieon Terrell is an athletic, fluid mover with clean transitions and enough speed to stay in phase on most vertical routes. He’s most effective in press-man coverage, where he mirrors releases with timing and discipline, staying crowded to the route. He concedes 50/50s to bigger targets at times, but is a constant catch irritant with good technique on all three levels. He can play wide or inside and is willing in run support, but he lacks ideal size. Terrell projects as an early starter thanks to his polish, ball skills, and coverage versatility.

What an Expert is Saying (Bonus Round):

Dane Brugler at The Athletic:

A two-and-a-half-year starter at Clemson, Terrell was an outside cornerback who slid inside in subpackage looks in defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s scheme. With an All-Pro NFL cornerback for an older brother, Terrell had sky-high expectations at Clemson — and frequently met them. He started 31 straight games to finish his career and led the Tigers in passes defended as both a sophomore and junior.

Terrell is a fluid, easy mover with light footwork in his pedal and read-and-drive reactions. He crowds receivers up and down the field and displays instinctive qualities to find and play the football. You would like to see more interceptions from him, but he made plenty of impact plays the past two seasons (21 passes defended, eight forced fumbles) and competes with a “Honey Badger” aura. His physicality jumps off the tape versus both pass and run, although he will struggle playing through bigger bodies to affect the catch point.

Terrell is undersized, but NFL teams, especially those running press-heavy schemes, would be wise to bet on his reaction quickness and compete skills. He projects as a rookie starter with inside-outside versatility.

Fit with the Browns

The Browns can use a third cornerback now that the team has pretty much moved on from Martin Emerson Jr. Using a first-round selection at the position could be seen as a luxury with left tackle and wide receiver being bigger issues, but Denzel Ward is not getting any younger, and while Tyson Campbell looked solid after arriving from Jacksonville in a in-season trade, the second year in Cleveland is not always kind to players who looked good at first glance.

Advertisement

The cornerback group is deep this year, so if Terrell is there in the second round, then Berry may be willing to pounce. Especially for a player who is versatile enough to play both inside and outside at cornerback.

Cleveland could be tempted if they trade down far enough in the first round, but left tackle and wide receiver are still such a major need that it is hard to see the Browns addressing cornerback with a pick at either No. 6 or No. 24.

Browns Player Drafting Could Impact

Ward and Campbell are locks, but Tre Avery, Myles Bryant, Myles Harden, Dom Jones, and D’Angelo Ross would all be fighting to avoid being the odd man out.

Advertisement

Priority: Medium

What are your thoughts on Avieon Terrell? Should the Browns select a cornerback, especially in the first round, or do they have bigger needs? Let us know in the comments!