Getty A.J. Terrell breaks up a pass vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
A.J. Terrell didn’t make the Pro Bowl as a starter, but the second-year cornerback’s talents are still recognized by one pundit. In fact, the former NFL safety turned ESPN analyst believes Atlanta Falcons star Terrell is the league’s best when it comes to one popular style of coverage.
ALL the latest Falcons news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Falcons newsletter here!
Terrell Named Best of the Press Corners
ESPN Matchup analyst Matt Bowen released the sixth edition of his annual “Shutdown Index” on Wednesday. In it, Bowen, who played safety on four teams, including Washington and the Buffalo Bills during a seven-year pro career, identified the best defensive backs in today’s game.
Breaking the list into particular categories, Bowen named the “Best secondary,” “Most complete cornerback” and “Best ball hawk,” among others. Getting more specific, Bowen assessed cornerbacks based on how they handle the most commonly used coverage techniques. This is where Terrell made the list as the “Best press cornerback.”
Bowen praised the Falcons’ star’s athleticism and competitive streak: “One of my favorite young corners to study, Terrell has the length and aggressive play style to challenge wide receivers from a press position — in both man and zone technique. Terrell has the footwork and lower-body balance to disrupt releases, and he can shut down the quick passing game or match and run. He’s a competitive player.”
It’s heady praise, but no more than Terrell deserves after an exceptional second season at this level. He endured his struggles as a rookie after the Falcons selected him 16th-overall in the 2020 NFL draft, but Terrell has refined his game considerably since.
Bowen is not alone in recognizing Terrell’s improvement. He’s become something of a darling of the analytics community, with Pro Football Focus putting him above his peers:
🔺 Highest-graded CB (87.3)
🔺 7 games with less than 10 yards allowed
PFF #ProBowl CB: @ajterrell_8
Atlanta defensive coordinator Dean Pees has been able to take advantage of Terrell’s skills. The latter’s physical approach suits the type of zone-heavy schemes Pees likes to call. He trusts Terrell to jam an opponents’ best receiver early and keep the route in front of him.
The whole purpose of playing a zone system is to limit big plays. That’s something Terrell is turning into an art form, with more numbers from PFF summing up his shutdown ability:
A.J. Terrell hasn’t allowed over 35 yards in a game this season 🤯🔒
Terrell is building quite the reputation, but he still remains somewhat under the radar. At least to the broader NFL community.
Pro Bowl Snub Hard to Fathom
His numbers are outstanding, but Terrell still wasn’t deemed good enough to be named a starter on the NFC’s Pro Bowl roster. Instead, he had to settle for a spot as fourth alternate, per The Athletic‘s Josh Kendall.
It was an oversight some can scarcely believe. Among them, Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar noted how just one cover man has been better against No.1 receivers: “Only J.C. Jackson of the Patriots (39.6) has allowed a lower opponent passer rating among primary outside cornerbacks this season than Terrell’s 54.6, which he’s done by allowing just 23 catches on 52 targets for 150 yards, 81 yards after the catch, two interceptions, and no touchdowns.”
A performance level like that makes it tough to believe Terrell was only deemed good enough to be buried deep among the alternates for the annual all-star game. The disparity between his displays this season and the meagre acknowledgement of them, prompted even stronger reactions of dismay from some.
Fox 5 Sports Falcons reporter Miles Garrett pulled no punches with his assessment of the snub:
It’s should be a crime that @ajterrell_8 was not voted in to the pro bowl. Has arguably been the best corner in the NFL this year.
Pro Bowl votes are often a matter of buzz, something Terrell has been short of this season. Former Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro wide receiver Chad Johnson recently took pundits to task for not mentioning Terrell enough.
It can be difficult to generate sufficient word of mouth when playing on a losing team. Terrell has been a standout, but the Falcons are still 6-8.
The roster is shorn of star names, save for maybe quarterback Matt Ryan and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. It’s also true Pees’ defense has rarely dominated an opponent this season, despite signs the unit could develop into something useful.
The Falcons rank 31st in points allowed and 26th in yards surrendered, according to Pro Football Reference. Pees’ group has also registered a league-low 16 sacks and snatched just eight interceptions, per the NFL’s official site. It’s a vanilla defense, and the lack of big plays have hurt Terrell’s stock.
These Falcons are firmly in rebuild mode and need fresh star power, something an improving player like Terrell can provide, but he’ll need time to come to greater attention nationally. A few more wins in 2022 would put Terrell in front of the kind of audiences that guarantee Pro Bowl status.