There weren't many players on the 53-man roster who were helped more by roster release day than Atlanta Falcons rookie Avieon Terrell. Terrell got a lot of work with the second-team defense in training camp, but near the end of the summer we saw him take on more work with the starters.
And it doesn't seem like that's a mirage. The only reason he was working with the 2s was to get him up to speed after he missed a good chunk of camp--and the first two preseason games--due to an ankle injury. But now that he's healthy again, Atlanta's defense is ready to unleash Terrell on the backend.
The AJC's Daniel Flick reported that the second-round cornerback is in line to start in Week 1--where he'll supposedly start in the nickel while his older brother A.J. Terrell and Mike Hughes are the starters on the outside. And the Falcons' initial roster cuts only backed up the notion that his time is coming.
Avieon Terrell is in line to start Week 1 for the Atlanta Falcons at nickel
The Falcons' supposed nickel starter, Darnay Holmes, was surprisingly released during final roster cuts, and is now on the practice squad. The other candidate to start at nickel was Billy Bowman Jr., and while he was activated off active/PUP following his November Achilles tear, it remains to be seen if he'll be ready to play Week 1--even if he's likely to return at some point in the first month of 2026.
So by process of elimination, it sounds like the only option the team has is to run with the 21-year-old at nickel. Before his injury, it seemed like this was going to be the resolution anyways, but seeing him miss time put that idea in jeopardy--though Holmes and Bowman managed to confirm the inevitable.
Both DBs have given the Dirty Birds no choice but to start Avieon Terrell in the nickel come Week 1--which is offering the perfect avenue for him to make an instant impact on this defense. And in recent weeks, he's been making up for lost time at practice-- catching the eye of some assistant coaches--further proving to the NFL world the Falcons landed a steal at No. 48.
Even though the Clemson product won't blow you away with his traits, his versatility to play inside and out is helping him quickly get on the field. And given he has a nose for the football (forced five fumbles as a junior last year) and isn't very prone to giving up big plays, he's just like his big brother.
Avieon Terrell is a straight-up playmaker, and it's not hard to see why the Atlanta Falcons have such high hopes for him: they confirmed as such through the decisions they made during roster cuts.
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