Throughout the first four weeks of his NFL career, the Atlanta Falcons have looked for any excuse to get Avieon Terrell on the football field. After all, that's what happens when you use a second-round pick on the kid and make him the first player selected by a new regime: you test what he's capable of.
And across the first four weeks of the season, Avieon has done his best A.J. Terrell impression. He's been a lockdown corner to begin his career. In 87 total coverage snaps, he's surrendered just 10 targets, which has resulted in just five receptions for 28 yards and 42.9 passer rating when targeted.
In terms of what you could have expected, he's been everything as advertised and then some. But the Falcons are starting to change course in terms of where they are planning to line the 48th overall pick up, and that change first started to materialize in Monday's blowout win over the New Orleans Saints.
During the first two weeks Terrell was getting most of his burn in the nickel, where he was sharing reps with Sydney Brown. But ever since Billy Bowman Jr. returned to the lineup in Week 3, he's spent more time on the outside, where it seems he could start opposite C.J. Henderson until A.J. returns from IR.
The Atlanta Falcons are finally moving Avieon Terrell to the outside
In the 45-24 blowout win over the Saints, the 21-year-old played a career-high 36 snaps and of those 36, 35 came as an outside cornerback. And yes, most of it came when the score was lopsided and the snap counts were elevated because the offense kept on scoring, but he still looked very good.
Outside of a bogus 25-yard defensive pass interference call while covering Bryce Lance, he had a solid day. PFF credited him with allowing just two receptions for 20 yards. They've asked a lot of him, but he's risen to the occasion.
According to The AJC's Daniel Flick, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich told the media last week that while Terrell has spent a lot of time in the slot to begin his NFL career, he thinks his long-term future lies on the boundary--though Ulbrich did say he's impressed by his ability to play both inside and out.
For reference, he played 48 snaps in the nickel across the first two weeks and 47 on the outside across Weeks 3 and 4. You don't even have to have graduated kindergarten to know that is practically even. But I think they are going to continue keeping him on the outside where they need him most.
In addition to Henderson, who has shined as the CB1 in lieu of A.J. Terrell, the Dirty Birds have Mike Hughes on the outside in addition to the Clemson product. But given Hughes has struggled and is better suited to be a CB3, it would behoove the Falcons to give Terrell a longer look on the boundary.
Allowing a 29-year-old who has been picked on in coverage to steal quality reps away from their top rookie is certainly a choice, but by the end of the season, don't be surprised if Avieon Terrell is starting opposite his brother (or C.J. Henderson) on the outside on account of how great he's been.
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