Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell continues to surface in mock drafts as a clean fit for the Vikings at No. 18.
Mock drafts can give fans a sense of what needs their favorite teams will address in April. They can feel a bit premature in January, as we have yet even to see players perform at the Senior Bowl, East-West Shrine Bowl, and Combine, but these mocks can help give fans players to latch on to in the coming months.
Most mock drafts currently have the Minnesota Vikings targeting the defense. The position group most commonly associated with the Vikings is presently cornerback.
The Consensus Big Board currently has Minnesota slated to select Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell with the 18th overall pick. The 5-foot-11 defensive back also happens to be the 18th-ranked overall player on the Big Board.
Terrell has been selected to 36% of mock drafts tracked by NFL Mock Draft Database. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is the second-most common selection for the Vikings, followed by Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq and Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods.
Players like Love and Woods could be long gone by the time Minnesota picks, but Terrell appears to be consistently regarded as a player who will go around the Vikings are on the clock.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) also lists Terrell as their 18th-ranked prospect overall. His 83.5 PFF grade in 2025 ranked 37th among 901 college cornerbacks (60.0 is considered average for PFF).
Helping his projection is that Terrell was consistent in his three years at Clemson. He received a 77.0 PFF grade in 2023 and an 82.3 grade in 2024. Terrell allowed three touchdowns and intercepted three passes in his first two seasons, although he did give up three passing scores in 2025.
What makes Terrell so valuable is his overall skill set. Quarterbacks completed 56.6% of their passes thrown Terrell's direction, slightly above average for a cornerback. But he received grades of 66.7 in man coverage and 74.9 in zone. That gave him a cumulative coverage grade of 76.9.
But his highest-graded metric came in run defense. Terrell graded out at 85.2 against the run, tied for 16th-best among all cornerbacks in 2025.
His inclusion in the Vikings' secondary would give either Brian Flores or his replacement a well-rounded cornerback on a defense full of players with diverse skill sets.
Terrell would also give Minnesota three viable cornerbacks. Isaiah Rodgers (963) and Byron Murphy, Jr. (1,045) were the only two Vikings cornerbacks to log more than 200 defensive snaps in 2025.
That in itself would add variety to Minnesota's defensive playbook. Instead of doing all they could to mask deficiencies at the position, cornerbacks could help amplify the rest of the defense's play.
There is still significant work to do before the Vikings’ draft plans come fully into focus. Free agency will shape their priorities just as much as pre-draft workouts and interviews. If Minnesota adds one or two competent cornerbacks on the open market, it could dramatically alter how the front office approaches the early rounds.
If the Vikings fail to make a meaningful addition at cornerback in free agency, the position will demand early attention in April. In that scenario, Avieon Terrell profiles as one of Minnesota’s most logical and appealing targets.