Draft month, finally, has arrived.
Continuing our series, which began earlier this month and will run until the 2026 NFL Draft begins on April 23, The Detroit News will spotlight one prospect a day who could be a first-round fit for the Detroit Lions, who own the 17th overall pick. Assuming the Lions don’t trade out, it’ll be their highest selection since running back Jahmyr Gibbs went No. 12 in 2023.
Today’s focus is on Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell.
Avieon Terrell stats
12 appearances in 2025
48 tackles, nine pass deflections, five forced fumbles
653 defensive snaps (392 coverage, 248 run defense, 13 pass rush)
98 special teams snaps (40 field goal block, 39 punt return, 14 kickoff coverage, five kickoff return)
Career overview
About six years younger than his brother A.J. Terrell (a former first-round draft pick who was an All-Pro with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021), Avieon Terrell was a four-star prospect at Westlake High School in Georgia before he opted to follow in A.J.’s footsteps, playing three seasons for head coach Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers. Terrell made 35 appearances on defense at Clemson from 2023-25, including 31 starts. He became a starter in November of his true freshman season, and his first career start, in which he didn’t allow a single reception across 60 snaps, saw Clemson upset then-No. 12 Notre Dame.
Terrell played in every game for the Tigers in 2024, earning All-ACC honors as a member of the second team while playing 767 of his 833 reps on the outside. Terrell recorded 12 pass deflections and a passer rating against of 70.9, which ranked 58th among 223 qualified CBs (minimum 300 coverage snaps). He allowed 383 yards and three touchdowns on 35 receptions (68 targets) while also corralling two interceptions, according to Pro Football Focus.
A number of Clemson’s best players struggled to meet expectations in 2025. Terrell doesn’t fall into that category. He was First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-American by the Associated Press, and he was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, presented annually to the nation’s top defensive back (Ohio State’s Caleb Downs ultimately won it). Terrell had nine pass deflections, three sacks and an ACC-best five forced fumbles (bringing his career total to eight). He became Clemson’s first cornerback to receive All-American recognition from the Associated Press since 2016.
Avieon Terrell NFL draft analysis
There are two main concerns when it comes to Terrell, the first being his speed. Terrell hurt his hamstring while performing on-field drills at the combine in February, according to a report from ESPN. The injury, though not considered serious, sidelined Terrell for Clemson’s Pro Day on March 12. Terrell chose to have a private workout for teams on March 30, but he reportedly aggravated the hamstring issue on his first run through the 40-yard dash, resulting in a substandard time of 4.64 seconds, which would’ve been last among CBs at the combine. Scouts will have to rely on their tape study more than ever to decide whether Terrell is fast enough to make it in the NFL.
The other mild concern regarding Terrell is his size, at 5-foot-11. Of the five cornerbacks who are most often discussed as potential first-round selections in this year’s draft (Terrell, LSU’s Mansoor Delane, Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy and Colton Hood and San Diego State’s Chris Johnson), Terrell is the only one under six feet tall, and his hands (8½ inches) are the smallest among this group, perhaps contributing to his low rate of interceptions (he hasn’t had one since October 2024). Terrell does have solid arm length for his size (31 inches), longer than Delane (30) and Johnson (30⅝).
Despite the perceived physical limitations, Terrell, 21, is consistently credited by analysts for playing bigger than his listed size, aggressive against both the run and pass. He’s also described by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler and NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein as a fluid mover with plus short-area quickness and the ability to swiftly react to initial moves made by receivers, all helping him be effective in press-man coverage. Terrell is more than willing to defend the run, an important factor considering 177 of his snaps in 2025 came either in the box or in the slot.
With a skill set that should translate well to man coverage and the ability to play inside or out, Terrell is a fit with the Lions, who have run a man-heavy scheme over the last five seasons and emphasize run defense to their CBs. The Lions have D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold on the outside. But neither are surefire options, with Detroit’s pass defense struggling last season and both players suffering injuries; Reed (hamstring) and Arnold (shoulder) missed a combined 15 contests. If both Reed and Arnold reach their ceilings in 2025, Terrell could absolutely still provide value as depth on the outside while getting most of his opportunities as a rookie in the slot.
Previous profiles
Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr.
Georgia linebacker CJ Allen
Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq
Clemson defensive end T.J. Parker
Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling
Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman
Texas Tech edge defender David Bailey
Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs
Penn State guard Vega Ioane
Auburn defensive lineman Keldric Faulk
Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano
Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy
Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor
Miami edge defender Akheem Mesidor
rsilva@detroitnews.com
@rich_silva18
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Lions could find inside-out fit in Clemson CB Avieon Terrell
Reporting by Richard Silva, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
