‘He’s That Guy’: Falcons DC Raves About Former Clemson CB

A Clemson pro on the defensive side of the ball drew plenty of praise from one of his coaches this week.

Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake spoke glowingly about former Tiger cornerback A.J. Terrell, now in his fifth NFL season.

Terrell has established himself as a top-tier cover corner and indispensable member of Atlanta’s secondary since being selected by the Falcons in the first round (16^th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft.

“A.J., he’s that guy,” Lake said during his Dec. 26 press conference, via Rowdy Sports. “He’s that top corner that all 32 teams are looking for in the draft or through free agency, and we thankfully have him right here in (the team’s facilities in) Flowery Branch.”

Opposing offenses are actively staying away from Terrell’s part of the field.

Per Next Gen Stats, Terrell (12.0%) has the third-lowest target rate in the NFL among cornerbacks with 300-plus coverage snaps, behind only Pat Surtain II of the Denver Broncos (10.2%) and Jaylon Johnson of the Chicago Bears (10.7%).

Not only are quarterbacks not throwing Terrell’s way very much, but when they do target him, his tight coverage is often forcing QBs into making tough throws. According to Next Gen Stats, receivers have been classified as open — or having 3-plus yards of separation at pass arrival — on just 20.7% of Terrell’s targets. That’s the fourth-lowest percentage in the NFL.

“We’re able to put him wherever we want, and we know that the quarterbacks better be aware if they’re going to throw his way, and he’s shown that through all of our games so far. He’s been playing lock-down corner. That’s the reason why you haven’t heard his name very much,” Lake said.

“He still has made some tremendous splash plays when the ball does get delivered to his side. But it is obviously an advantage for us to have a big-time player like A.J. Terrell.”

Terrell has started all 15 games for the Falcons thus far this season, tallying 61 total tackles (2.0 for loss), five pass breakups and two interceptions.

The 6-foot-1, 194-pounder has been especially stingy in coverage since Week 13, allowing only five total receptions for 46 yards on 10 targets.

A 2021 All-Pro, Terrell has recorded six interceptions, as well as nearly 50 pass breakups, in his NFL career so far. Before the 2024 season, he and the Falcons agreed on a massive four-year, $81 million contract extension, which will keep the now 26-year-old under contract with Atlanta through the 2028 season.

Whenever there’s a WR1 that the Falcons don’t want to let beat them in any given game, they’re more than comfortable turning to Terrell to try and lock that receiver down in man coverage.

“If there’s a player that we deem as, ‘Hey, we need to make sure the offense has to go through someone else,’ then definitely that’s going to be in the game plan,” Lake said. “We’ve had a fair amount of times where A.J. has tracked and latched on to the No. 1 wideout. … We’re able to do that with A.J. Again, we’re thankful that we have a big-time player like him that we can do that (with).”

–Photo courtesy Dale Zanine-Imagn Images