How Clemson's Avieon Terrell Compares to Other Draft Prospects

Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell has turned heads in all three years of his Tiger tenure, but now greater opportunities await.

Terrell declared for the NFL Draft in December, looking to follow in his brother’s footsteps as one of the first cornerbacks taken off the board in April. However, he’s not the only secondary member who is looking to crack the top 10.

LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane and Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy are two others who could leapfrog Terrell as the first cornerback taken in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, how do these three talented secondary members rank in different categories?

Speed

1. Terrell 2. Delane 3. McCoy

Terrell’s bread and butter this past season was his closing speed, which pops off the page for NFL Draft scouts. The Clemson product also has a 40-meter time of about 4.4, which is faster than both McCoy and Delane as well.

That’s going to play out very well for Terrell during his draft process, looking to shut down the speedy NFL receivers that the league knows best. You can argue that either of the other two could give Terrell a run for his money in a sprint, but it’s how the Atlanta native can close down receivers quickly that makes him so exciting to have on a team next season.

It’s also important to note that McCoy missed the entire 2025 season with a torn ACL, taking the year off to fully recover before playing for an NFL team. That will be a storyline to follow within this position group to see if he can get back to his best.

Coverage

1. Delane 2. McCoy 3. Terrell

It’s difficult for Terrell to break past either SEC cornerback because the other two have been nearly unstoppable from their time on the field.

Delane was only targeted five times over the last four games. He only allowed a completion percentage of under 30% as well, and that’s difficult to beat. He had a coverage grade of 90.7, according to Pro Football Focus, which was fourth-best in the country. The same goes for McCoy in 2024, who was 10th-best with a grade of 89.6.

Terrell is at 76.9 grade, having allowed important completions at times, but that shouldn’t take away from how he’s been able to be during the majority of moments over the last three seasons. It’s just tough to put the Clemson cornerback among others who had true shutdown years.

Mansoor Delane (left) had a standout senior season with the LSU Tigers in 2025. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Tackling/Physicality

1. Terrell 2. Delane 3. McCoy

Over his three seasons, Terrell had eight forced fumbles. That doesn’t come by coincidence.

A loud presence in the secondary, the Clemson cornerback consistently had to cover the best opposing receiver and didn’t bat an eye. He also brought tremendous physicality to the table to add extra incompletions under his name. However, that can be a double-edged sword, which could allow penalties to occur.

It didn’t happen much with Delane, but when he did allow a completion, the play tended to stop there. The same thing with McCoy, although more broken tackles have occurred from SEC play. Since Terrell has the bigger volume of completions, he’s been able to show his prowess more, and viewers haven’t been let down.

Size

1. McCoy 2. Delane 3. Terrell

One thing about this cornerback trio is that all of them are smaller than a typical NFL cornerback. All are 6-foot or shorter, all being in the 51st percentile or lower from a weight standpoint.

McCoy fits this the best, being the same height as Delane but having a little bit more weight to give him the edge here. It wouldn’t be a shock if any of these players gain more weight heading into the NFL Combine, which leaves this category up for interpretation for future notice.

Terrell, 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, is in the 8% of weight and in the 41% of height. That trends a little bit worse for his draft stock, having to defend wide receivers that can be north of 6-foot-2. Some of the coverages he had with bigger receivers, penalties occurred, making him a potential rookie target next season to attack with a mismatch.

Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy (3) missed all of the 2025 season, but his 2024 campaign has been enough to make a name. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Durability

1. Delane and Terrell 2. McCoy

This is another important piece to note: McCoy is coming off that torn ACL injury back in January 2025. So, how will he return, and will he be better than he was in Tennessee?

Delane didn’t miss a game with LSU last season, and neither did Terrell, unless you are counting the bowl games at the end of the season.

Potential

1. McCoy 2. Delane 3. Terrell

To answer that question above, if McCoy comes back better than he was in college, he can be an All-Pro-level cornerback in the years to come. He was expected to be the top cornerback taken from this year’s draft class to begin the season, and if he comes back strong from injury and gets into the right system, the sky is the limit. You know what you’re getting out of Delane, and the potential is high as well. Terrell might just be a little behind both of those two, but the final product has the capability of being a shutdown, zone coverage corner if he pans out.

Final Standings

Delane 7, McCoy 12, Terrell 12

Since the college football season ended, Delane is expected to be the first cornerback taken off the board, and following a season when quarterbacks intentionally avoided his side of the field down the stretch of the season. He has the highest floor and perhaps is the most NFL-ready. You can take a chance on McCoy, who has a higher ceiling than Terrell, but the Clemson corner’s speed and physicality have him looking at a first-round spot in April’s draft.