The New York Jets must consider selecting Clemson Tigers' cornerback Avieon Terrell in the 2026 NFL Draft.
With three weeks left in the 2025 NFL regular season, the New York Jets and general manager Darren Mougey will now ramp up their focus on the future of the franchise.
This offseason will be pivotal for Mougey and company, as multiple positions on both sides of the ball need to be addressed before the 2026 season. Fortunately for the front office, Clemson Tigers’ star cornerback Avieon Terrell could be the missing piece in the secondary unit.
Terrell, the younger brother of Atlanta Falcons’ star cornerback AJ Terrell, has slowly begun to follow in his brother’s footsteps after spending three seasons with the Tigers. During his time at Clemson, the star cornerback recorded 125 tackles, 25 pass deflections, eight tackles for losses, and three interceptions.
After an incredible sophomore season in 2024, Terrell caught the attention of many scouts heading into this season. Luckily for the rising playmaker, he continued his dominant stretch this season, tallying 48 tackles, nine pass deflections, and five forced fumbles.
One of the main criticisms of Terrell is his small stature, as he stands at 5-foot-11 and weighs 180 lbs. This is well below his brother’s measurables, who measured in at 6-foot-1, 195 lbs., entering the 2020 NFL Draft.
However, Terrell makes up for his lack of size with his gritty, physical style of play. This allows him to not only be an outside cornerback but also to line up anywhere on defense and find success on the field. Terrell spent 71 percent of his defensive snaps in 2025 as a true outside corner and 17 percent of his snaps in the slot.
Looking at the landscape of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Jets are in a prime spot to select Terrell thanks to the recent trade of star cornerback Sauce Gardner. The struggling franchise now holds the No. 5 and No. 18 pick, which means New York could use the Indianapolis Colts’ first-round pick on Terrell.
More importantly, Terrell is a perfect fit for head coach Aaron Glenn’s defense, as the Jets’ defense tends to utilize physical defensive backs.
If selected, Terrell would join a secondary unit that features veteran Brandon Stephens, Jarvis Brownlee Jr., and rookie Azareye'h Thomas to give the organization a terrific blend of young and experienced cornerbacks.
Depending on whether the Jets trade up for a quarterback in the upcoming draft, the Colts’ pick could be used to either select a quarterback or stay put and select Terrell.