Avieon Terrell impressed with a strong showing on Friday at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah liked what he saw from Terrell when the Clemson cornerback went through on-field drills with the corners during the combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
“He’s a good football player,” Jeremiah said. “Terrell looks good going through the workouts so far today.”
“Terrell has moved really well,” Jeremiah added. “Terrell’s got great ball skills.”
Terrell did not run the 40-yard dash at the combine. He recorded a 34-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot, 3-inch broad jump.
Terrell is frequently projected to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which is set to take place from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
Jeremiah currently ranks Terrell as the No. 30 overall prospect in this year’s draft class and the No. 4 corner.
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 three-year Clemson career.
As a junior in 2025, Terrell tallied 46 tackles (4.5 for loss), a career-high three sacks, 11 pass breakups, five forced fumbles and a fumble recovery over 12 games (all starts). He joined Brandon Maye (five in 2009) and T.J. Parker (six in 2024) as the only players in school history to force five fumbles in a single season.
Though Terrell primarily played on the outside at Clemson, he is comfortable playing both inside and outside, and NFL Network analyst Charles Davis says he will slide inside and be a nickel corner at the next level.
“He is [making a name for himself], and in this case, I don’t think we have any worries at all about what position he’s going to play,” Davis said. “He’s gonna be a nickel corner and nickel all day long. He’s going to go inside and play. I had a chance to talk with him earlier this week and ask him about the differences. And he just said outside is where the island is, inside is where all the traffic is, and I’m comfortable with all the traffic. I don’t worry about that part of it at all.”
ESPN’s Jordan Reid, who ranks Terrell as the fourth-best cornerback in this year’s draft class, said Terrell “was among the best of the corner group” during Friday’s on-field drills.
“After having zero interceptions last season, his true ball skills were a question entering the combine. But he showed plenty of comfort with attacking and snatching the ball out of the air Friday,” Reid wrote. “He also displayed excellent hip mobility to turn and transition out of his breaks. Terrell has been labeled as a fringe first-rounder, but I believe the 5-foot-11, 186-pounder will be a top-20 pick. Circle Clemson’s pro day on March 12, as Terrell is expected to participate in all testing and drills and potentially get in that mid-first-round range.”
Check out some of what they’re saying about Terrell’s performance in on-field drills at the combine Friday:
