When the Atlanta Falcons drafted Avieon Terrell in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Falcons fans instantly had high expectations. We saw what A.J. Terrell has become over the years, and since the two siblings share 50% of their DNA, those lofty expectations have followed Avieon all spring.
Unfortunately, it's been a bit of a bumpy ride following the family reunion. After signing a historic rookie deal, Terrell has been dealing with an undisclosed injury for the last few weeks, so we really haven't been given a shot to see what he's truly capable of. But there's still a lot of time until training camp starts in July.
The Falcons have been easing the 21-year-old back in his return to the football field, as the AJC's Daniel Flick noted been working with the third-team defense in OTAs and rookie minicamp. But that's not a summer-long trend, as Terrell has made an impression when given the opportunity to do so.
"Falcons rookie cornerback Avieon Terrell, the team’s second-round pick, had a quiet start to his professional career," Flick wrote. "Terrell didn’t participate in team periods during his first two weeks of practice because of an undisclosed injury and has worked with the third-string defense thus far."
Avieon Terrell is starting to turn a corner in his first summer with the Falcons
It hasn't been a great start to Terrell's NFL career, but Wednesday's practice session was a turning point. Not only did he join the starters and top backups when the DBs split up for drills, Flick noted the Clemson Tiger had his first highlight play with a touchdown-saving PBU against Michael Penix Jr.
"While Avieon Terrell remained a third-string outside corner during team drills, he made his first highlight play, breaking up a pass from Penix that prevented a touchdown. The Falcons have slow-played Terrell’s involvement in team periods, but the 21-year-old made a splash Wednesday."
While he remained a third-string outside corner in team drills, that's nothing to freak out about. More importantly, he's starting to make the most of his opportunities in practice. And that's part of why the Dirty Birds see him as a long-term fixture within their CB room next to his brother and Mike Hughes.
When you're an NFL rookie, especially in your first minicamp, all you can do is slowly win the trust of your coaching staff. Kevin Stefanski and Jeff Ulbrich should care more about easing the young CB into action and getting him healthy so his tenacity can make an impact when it matters: in Week 1.
There's a reason that Avieon Terrell was labeled one of the steals of the 2026 NFL Draft as soon as he landed with the Atlanta Falcons. And while things haven't been perfect after getting the rookie treatment, he's slowly but surely shown flashes of the player fans expected the 48th pick would be.
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