Longtime ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. is very fond of one Clemson draft prospect in particular.

Ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, which kicks off Thursday, Kiper highlighted his favorite prospects by position.

“Every April, I put together a list of my favorite prospects at every position — players whom I like more than consensus after studying their film,” Kiper wrote. “To be clear, these aren’t the best prospects at their positions. It’s possible none of them will go in Round 1, and a few of them will most likely still be on the board on Day 3.

“But I love watching their tape. They are the underrated ballers of the class — 15 tough, hard-nosed prospects who play football the right way. Coaches rave about their love of the game, high football IQ and work ethic. They are exactly the type of players you want on your team.”

Kiper named Clemson’s Avieon Terrell as one of his favorite cornerback prospects, along with Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds and Duke’s Chandler Rivers.

“I went three-deep at cornerback, but Terrell, Ponds and Rivers are all somewhat similar as prospects,” Kiper wrote. “All three have versatility, but are likely slot corners in the NFL. Terrell is 5-foot-11 and 186 pounds. Ponds is 5-foot-9 and 182 pounds. And Rivers is 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds. Not the most ideal size across the board.

“But they all play a spunky brand of football. They maximize their ability with sound route recognition, good awareness and a knack for making plays. … Terrell can flip his hips, stick on even the fastest receivers and then find the ball at just the right moment. He had three picks and 27 pass breakups over three seasons.”

In his final 2026 NFL Draft Big Board rankings, Kiper slotted Terrell as the No. 46 overall prospect in this year’s draft class and the fifth-best cornerback.

Kiper recently released a two-round mock draft, which has Terrell going in the second round to the Green Bay Packers with the No. 52 overall pick.

“Terrell is dealing with a hamstring injury at the moment, but he is a consistent man-to-man corner with plenty of speed,” Kiper wrote. “He makes plays on the ball, and he had eight forced fumbles over the past two seasons, including five in 2025. He could potentially start for the Packers in Year 1.”

Unfortunately for Terrell, his stock has taken a hit during the pre-draft process, in large part due to the aforementioned hamstring injury. He went through limited on-field testing at the NFL Scouting Combine, and after not participating in Clemson’s Pro Day, he aggravated his hamstring injury during his private pro day last month.

Though Terrell was previously frequently projected as a mid-to-late first-round pick, he is now generally projected as a second-round selection. But despite the slip, many analysts still view him as a high-upside player, with some considering him a potential “steal” if he falls to Day 2, including ESPN’s Matt Miller, who thinks Terrell will be the biggest steal of the draft.

The 2026 NFL Draft is set to be held this week in Pittsburgh. Round 1 will take place on Thursday, followed by the second and third rounds on Friday and then rounds 4-7 on Saturday.

A 2025 All-American and Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist, Terrell was credited with 128 tackles (nine for loss), 30 pass breakups, three interceptions, four sacks, eight forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries across 39 games (31 starts) in his career as a Tiger from 2023-25.

The two-time All-ACC selection set Clemson records for a defensive back in forced fumbles in a season (five in 2025) and a career (eight), and he led all cornerbacks nationally in forced fumbles across his Clemson career.