The brother of A.J. Terrell would join Minnesota's defense.
The Minnesota Vikings barely missed the playoffs in the NFC, and their late-season winning streak pushed their draft position down to number 18. The Carolina Panthers will select right after Minnesota, after winning the NFC South. This offseason could be filled with changes for the roster and coaching staff. Brian Flores and other members of the coaching staff will be interviewing and sought after.
So, how do the Vikings reload the roster that is in position to compete immediately? PFF released their latest mock draft and added a defensive player to the Vikings roster.
Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell's brother joins Minnesota from Clemson. Avieon Terrell helps bolster the Vikings' secondary.
Max Chadwick explains his pick:
The Vikings need help in their secondary, particularly at cornerback. That comes here in Terrell, who has posted 80.0-plus PFF grades in each of the last two seasons at Clemson. He’s the younger brother of Falcons corner A.J. Terrell, who was second among all cornerbacks in PFF grade back in the 2021 season.
Pro Football Focus has Terrell ranked 31st in this draft. Here is what they have to say about the cornerback:
Terrell already has a brother who plays in the NFL, and you can tell he's been able to watch his brother play at a high level to follow in his footsteps. Even as just a true sophomore in 2024, he showed a high football IQ and some great cornerback instincts. That manifested in good ball production with interceptions and forced incompletions. He also recorded very good PFF run-defense and pass-rush grades over the last two years despite a small frame. His weight profile is below the 10th percentile for the pros, and his arm length could be a limiting factor for press. But as an off-zone coverage defender, he is smart, sound, calculated and impactful in all areas of playing the position.
Daniel Harms of Bleacher Report gives his thoughts on Terrell:
— Terrell gets proper depth in zone coverage and uses exceptional eyes to break on route concepts and throws.
—He's has a great competitive nature across the board and won't back down to anyone. He's improved strength and leverage understanding to deliver hits and get off blocks.
— Smooth backpedal and hip-flip to match to maintain connectivity in man coverage and zone match principles.
— Breaks on the football quickly and regularly attacks the catch point with his hands and ball tracking skills.
Terrell has NFL pedigree from his brother and can step in day one and make an impact for the Vikings. You can't ask for anything more than that from a first round pick.