Former Clemson defender makes ESPN's NFL 'Top 25 under 25' |
AJ Terrell is continuing to impress and he's expected to be a leading defender moving forward among the NFL's next generation of stars.
ESPN ranked its top-25 players under the age of 25 and the 24-year-old former Clemson All-ACC selection checked in at No. 17 on the list. "A long-framed corner with press-coverage ability and backfield vision, Terrell can line up in man coverage or find the ball as a zone defender," said ESPN's analysis of the 2020 Atlanta Falcons' first-round pick. "He missed some game time with a hamstring injury this season, but the third-year defender is one of the league's best matchup corners and has 28 pass breakups in his career. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he has allowed minus-7.6% completions over expectation and given up just 5.4 yards per attempt as the nearest defender over the past two seasons." Clemson products among the honorable mentions were Trevor Lawrence and Tee Higgins, while Travis Etienne was another who was argued to be on the list. "I expected Etienne to make the cut based on the tape he has put together this year. After missing his rookie season with a foot injury, Etienne has shown he can handle No. 1 volume as a decisive runner with the short-area acceleration to slip through cracks of daylight. He is averaging 5.5 yards per carry this season, but Etienne can also affect the passing game with his receiving skills -- he has 202 receiving yards. He has a lot of upside," said ESPN's Matt Bowen. Lawrence is seen as one improving but with some work to do. "Lawrence was billed as the safest quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck, and he has shown flashes of that. He just hasn't produced consistently yet. Hitting more big-time throws in the red zone and under pressure will push Lawrence up the list. His 54.2 QBR is 16th in the league this year," said ESPN's Matt Miller.
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