Mel Kiper Jr. Has Clemson CB Falling to Eagles in First Round

The Philadelphia Eagles have a lot of work to do this offseason.

The vast majority of the headlines so far this offseason around the Eagles have had to do with the offense. The Eagles are still searching for a new offensive coordinator and there have been rumors about AJ Brown's potential availability on the trade block this offseason. But there are going to be far more things to think about than just the offensive coordinator and Brown's standing with the team.

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Philadelphia has financial questions in front of it. Like, should the team hand Jalen Carter a long-term extension this offseason? Yes, they should. But we'll see what happens. The Eagles have a very expensive offense that didn't work well in 2026. What changes could be coming? On the defensive side of the ball, the Eagles were in good shape in 2025 for the most part, but the No. 2 cornerback spot popped up as a question all season and now it is even more so the case with Adoree' Jackson as a pending free agent. Plus, the Eagles have free agents to think about, like Jaelan Phillips, Dallas Goedert, and Nakobe Dean, among others.

The Eagles have the No. 23 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft

Nov 29, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers cornerback Avieon Terrell (8) celebrates a play against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

One way to fill some of the gaps on the team will be through the 2026 National Football League Draft. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. shared his first mock draft of the offseason and projected the Eagles to go defense in the first round with the No. 23 pick and floated Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell.

"No. 23. Philadelphia Eagles," Kiper wrote. "Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson. Philadelphia could go a lot of directions, especially if it moves on from wide receiver A.J. Brown this offseason. But one spot that has received a lot of attention is actually on defense. The Eagles tried to fix the CB2 position opposite Quinyon Mitchell (Cooper DeJean is in the slot) with trades for Jaire Alexander and Michael Carter II, but neither move did the trick. Carter barely played down the stretch, and Alexander stepped away from football in mid-November.

"Terrell, though, would be a reliable answer. He broke up nine passes and forced five -- yes, five -- fumbles in 2025. He's terrific in man coverage, and coordinator Vic Fangio had his defense in man 55 percent of the time this season, third most in the NFL."

ESPN has Terrell ranked as the No. 3 overall cornerback in the 2026 draft class. He played in 12 games for Clemson in 2025 and had 48 total tackles, three sacks, nine passes defended, and five forced fumbles on the season. If the Eagles were to go defense, a trio of Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Terell would make for a fun secondary, along with safety Andrew Mukuba. Arguably, the Eagles need to add cheap offensive pieces, but the No. 2 cornerback spot is a hole as well.

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