Mel Kiper's final 2026 mock draft gives Packers a polarizing cornerback

Mel Kiper's final mock draft of the 2026 cycle sent a polarizing cornerback prospect to the Green Bay Packers in the second round.

At No. 52 overall, Kiper had the Packers taking Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell, a faller during the pre-draft process who was once viewed as a sure-fire first-round pick but is now battling through an injury. Despite the fall into the second half of the second round, Kiper sees a talented cover player who could be a potential rookie starter in Green Bay.

From Kiper: "Terrell is dealing with a hamstring injury at the moment, but he is a consistent man-to-man corner with plenty of speed. He makes plays on the ball, and he had eight forced fumbles over the past two seasons, including five in 2025. He could potentially start for the Packers in Year 1."

Terrell (5-11, 184) is light and lacking density, and he ran the 40-yard dash in only 4.64 seconds at his pro day -- although an injury situation might be to blame. Combined, small and slow is a death wish for a perimeter corner in the NFL. As a result, Terrell has fallen to No. 30 on the consensus big board and is now a possible Day 2 player based on how teams view his speed.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler included Terrell among the draft's most polarizing players.

"It's hard to ask him to cover one-on-one on the outside with that time," an AFC scout told Fowler. "It's an issue. I wish it wasn't but it is. I think some teams will consider him more inside as a result."

Per Fowler, Terrell aggravated an existing hamstring injury during his 40 attempt, possibly explaining his slower than expected time. The 40 is less and less important in this era of football where players are tracked in-game and during practices with GPS, so teams like the Packers will have more information on Terrell's actual game speed.

Terrell, the younger brother of Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell, is undeniably talented. He was a true freshman starter at Clemson, and he broke up 23 passes, forced eight fumbles and produced 9.0 tackles for loss over 26 games during his final two seasons. And he's still only 21 years old after playing three high level seasons.