Best-Case Draft Scenario For Terrell? Going Home Again

Thomas Wolfe wrote the novel “You Can’t Go Home Again” in 1940.

Eighty years later, A.J. Terrell could disprove that theory.

When it comes to the best-case scenario for the former Clemson cornerback looking to become a first-round selection in Thursday’s 2020 NFL Draft, home is exactly where he needs to end up.

Terrell hails from Atlanta and attended Westlake High School, which sits about 15 miles from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Falcons.

It just so happens, that’s a franchise looking for a top-tier cornerback and picking No. 16 overall. Terrell happens to be a pro prospect who a couple weeks ago looked more like a second-rounder but has recently shot up draft boards.

If AJ Terrell is available. Several teams in the top-16 picks have their eyes on the Clemson CB.

Terrell is going to go higher than most think. https://t.co/3Y6x7cWZtn
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) April 17, 2020

The last time anyone saw Terrell in a game, it didn’t go well. He struggled to stop LSU receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson from making plays in the national championship game.

However, after many analysts and experts rewatched the SEC Tigers win the title, it wasn’t a lack of competition. Terrell was just a hair away from making some plays and in some instances had good coverage. The ball was just thrown so well from likely No. 1-overall selection Joe Burrow.

“I would say I’m a competitor. I don’t like to back down from competition,” Terrell said at the NFL combine in February. “I’m going to give the receiver my best and I know I’m going to get theirs. We’re just going to compete for the whole four quarters.”

The year before that LSU game, it was Terrell getting the best of Tua Tagovailoa and the Alabama Crimson Tide when he produced a pick-6 in Clemson’s 2018 national championship game victory.

Terrell has the size (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) and college production (over 100 tackles, 6 interceptions in his Clemson career) to play at a high level at the next level. He's considered a top-5 player at his position.

PFF's Final NFL Draft CB Rankings:

1. Jeffrey Okudah, Ohio State
2. Kristian Fulton, LSU
3. C.J. Henderson, Florida
4. Jaylon Johnson, Utah
5. A.J. Terrell, Clemson pic.twitter.com/XCkvUR8S9F
— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 21, 2020

The Falcons, meanwhile, are rumored to be looking to will and deal and potentially move up from 16th to get a corner, but there's also buzz coming out of Atlanta that they really like Terrell if they end up staying in the middle of the draft.

There's also a chance the Falcons work a trade to acquire another first-round selection, which could also help them land Terrell.

His physicality and press coverage ability would fit well into the system of Dan Quinn, the team's head coach and defensive mind. The Falcons feel sold on last year's fourth-round pick Kendall Sheffield being a regular starter on one side of the field, but 2018 second-round selection Isaiah Oliver, who was tied for seventh-most receptions allowed last year, hasn't garnered the same belief from Quinn.

That's led to many experts predicting Terrell, Florida's C.J. Henderson and Alabama's Trevon Diggs to the Falcons.

"Day in and day out he goes against elite players," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. "He’s played in big games and made big plays. Just confident. He’s put in a lot of work. He’s in a great place physically. He really understands the game. He’s a guy that can take a guy away, for sure."

Other potential fits

•Las Vegas Raiders love Clemson players. General manager Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden took three in the 2019 NFL Draft. They also hold the No. 12 and No. 19 picks Thursday and need a cornerback to play opposite another former Tiger DB in Trayvon Mullen. Terrell would have instant chemistry with the Clemson players and have an instant opportunity to play in Vegas.

•Minnesota Vikings are a wild card because of two first-round picks and pressure to land immediate impacts to the 2020 season. This is a popular destination in recent days for Terrell to land, and it would put him on a playoff contender this fall. There are worse situations to be in.

•San Francisco 49ers are shopping for help at this key position, and while they could use the 13th overall pick to select a receiver or move down in the draft to acquire a cornerback, they're also a team to keep an eye on if Terrell slips to Friday's second round. Veteran corner Richard Sherman is entering the final year of his contract.

•Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans are two other teams with interest in cornerbacks and Terrell.