Pro Football Focus (PFF) highlighted the five most versatile prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft class.
Among them is Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell.
Here’s what PFF’s Daire Carragher wrote about Terrell as a versatile chess piece whose scheme flexibility heightens his value in the draft:
“The younger brother of Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell, Avieon may be a little smaller, but his play style is strikingly similar. What Avieon lacks in size, he makes up for in positional versatility.
“Unlike A.J., who was essentially left on an island throughout his entire Clemson career, Avieon has dabbled inside, tallying 187 snaps this past season across the slot, box and defensive line. He was an incredibly effective pass rusher on a limited sample size, finishing with six pressures and three sacks on merely 13 pass-rush snaps.
“Terrell has versatility within his coverage roles too. Among the top-10 cornerbacks on PFF’s big board, he played the most man coverage snaps in 2025, faring respectably.
“Given his ability to line up inside or outside, play man or zone, and even get after the quarterback when called upon, Terrell is truly a scheme-proof cornerback who can be molded to meet the needs of any defense.”
PFF’s big board ranks Terrell as the third-best cornerback and the No. 23 overall prospect in this year’s draft class.
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. The latest mock draft from ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has Terrell going to the Buffalo Bills in the first round with the 26th overall pick.
“The Bills’ tight salary cap led to some cornerback changes this offseason, with the team cutting Dane Jackson, trading Taron Johnson and letting Tre’Davious White hit free agency. They have Christian Benford and 2025 first-rounder Maxwell Hairston in place, but the depth is shallow. Terrell is great in man coverage, showing the ability to stick on receivers. He didn’t come away with any interceptions last season, but he broke up nine passes,” Kiper wrote.
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.