2026 NFL Draft: Falcons grade for Aveion Terrell pick

Some will cry nepotism, others will point out his lack of size - but make no mistake, the Atlanta Falcons got a legit NFL defender in Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell.

Until now his claim to fame may have been his older brother A.J. playing corner for the Falcons, but now he'll be joining him on the field - assuming he can beat out Mike Hughes and the other veterans for a spot in the starting rotation.

One analyst who loves the pick is Mike Renner at CBS Sports, who gave Atlanta an A+ grade for the selection.

"The Terrell brothers are reunited once again. I say again, but being six years apart, they've likely never played on the same team until now. Avieon is the shorter, scrappier version of his brother AJ. He has the same smooth coverage skills, with a little more edge being the younger brother."

Renner is not the only one who approves of Terrell's game, either.

For the 2025 season, Pro Football Focus graded Terrell out at 83.5 overall, which ranked 38th out of nearly 900 qualifying cornerbacks in the nation. Terrell earned solid grades in run defense (85.2) and coverage (76.9).

All of that goes out the window in your first live NFL game, which can be a harrowing experience for even highly-touted rookies. That said, Terrell appears to have the makeup of a pro corner, if not the length. Time will tell if the Falcons made the right call here, or if they've taken the whole Football is Family thing a little too far.

This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Aveion Terrell pick earns Atlanta Falcons an A+ grade from CBS Sports