Getty A.J. Terrell #8 of the Clemson Tigers runs back an interception for a first quarter touchdown.
After an unusual offseason, Atlanta Falcons rookie cornerback A.J. Terrell is getting acquainted with his teammates at training camp.
The Falcons drafted Terrell out of Clemson as their first-round pick this year. Many thought it was “a reach” and not the best pick for the Falcons.
If you were having negative thoughts on Thomas Dimitroff and Dan Quinn’s first-round decision–this clip of Terrell breaking up a pass to Julio Jones just might change your mind.
The rook, @ajterrell_8 is out here turning heads.
Get used to it.
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Terrell Is Ready to Make a New First Impression
People tend to hang on to first impressions [the LSU game] but Terrell is getting a fresh start come September.
As a Clemson grad, Terrell played in a total of 38 games and recorded 101 tackles and six interceptions.
Terrell plans on bringing consistency to Atlanta and told Atlanta’s local media which opponent he looks forward to facing the most.
“Anybody,” Terrell said. “You know just going in there and competing with any WR in the league. I don’t have one WR in particular, just going into each game and just compete against everybody in the same way.’’
What he doesn’t plan on bringing are the mistakes he made on January 13.
“You have to have a short-term memory regarding the struggles in the national title game.”
Raheem Morris Believes AJ Terrell Is a Starter
After coming out the first round and covering the opposing team’s No. 1 option throughout his college career, it wouldn’t make sense if Terrell didn’t start.
Falcons’ defensive coordinator Raheem Morris believes he has starting abilities but doesn’t want to get ahead of himself.
“I would like to say yes, but I don’t want to make any predictions for him,” Morris told D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He’s got to go out there and compete with some really good football players. I would say this, when you get a guy that early, you’re going to give all of the effort, give him all of his due (respect) and chances to get him out on the grass as quickly as possible.”
Right now, the Falcons have zero reliable talent at cornerback aside from Terrell. If he doesn’t start then Atlanta will have a lot of angry fans questioning the franchise’s draft pick. But from the looks of it, he’s on the right path.
A.J. Was the Pick the Falcons Needed
When you look past the National Championship game which everyone seems to focus too much on, Terrell is a solid and reliable cornerback. That’s something that he Falcons are lacking considering all of there current corners are fairly young and inconsistent.
But, thankfully the Falcons won themselves a big, tall, and athletic corner. That’s what you need in the NFC South division when you’re facing receivers like Michael Thomas.
The 6-foot-1, 195 pounds former Tiger certainly has the length a lot of NFL teams look for in a pro corner. In his final season at Clemson, Terrell finished as a first-team all-conference selection recording 37 tackles, two interceptions, and six pass breakups in 15 starts.
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Falcons Rookie ‘Turning Heads’ at Training Camp [WATCH]