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Rod Woodson knows a thing or two about what makes a great defensive back. The Pro Football Hall of Fame member was named All-Pro at both cornerback and safety during a decorated career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens and Oakland Raiders.
So fans of the Atlanta Falcons should be excited when an authority like Woodson names one of the team’s key players among the NFL’s best DBs under the age of 25. Woodson touted this young star as a true shutdown corner when healthy.
Fallen Falcon Gets Hall of Fame Endorsement
Speaking to The 33rd Team, Woodson named A.J. Terrell on his list of the league’s five best DBs under the age of 25: “No interceptions this year, he’s been kind of banged up and beat up. Five PBUs, 29 total tackles for the Atlanta Falcons. He’s a player that you gotta love. He’s 6’1″, 195 pounds, when is healthy, they can match him up with No. 1 receivers of opposing teams and they can slow those guys down.”
That’s high praise from somebody with Woodson’s credibility. He sensibly acknowledged Terrell’s lack of headline statistics. Big plays have been scarce for the player the Falcons drafted 16th overall in 2020, with Terrell snatching just four interceptions before this season.
As Woodson noted, injuries have played their part, although Terrell has started all seven games in 2022, despite dealing with a thigh problem. The sequence will be snapped after Terrell left Week 7’s 35-17 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals early with a hamstring issue that has impacted his status for this week’s crucial game in the NFC South, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Terrell’s absence will be felt, even though he hasn’t always played like the shutdown corner Woodson described this season.
Inconsistency Has Defined Key Man in Falcons’ Secondary in ’22
Locking down an opponents’ best receiver is what the Falcons expect from Terrell. His ability to shadow a primary weapon lets defensive coordinator Dean Pees play zone everywhere else across the secondary.
That’s the theory anyway, but it hasn’t always worked out as planned this season. Terrell’s inconsistency hasn’t helped, with more than one elite wideout getting the better of the gifted 24-year-old.
There were worrying signs against the New Orleans Saints in Week 1 when Terrell was matched up against Michael Thomas. The Saints’ catch machine got the better of the matchup more than once, including for this vital fourth-quarter touchdown:
.@Cantguardmike living up to his handle – another TD! 👊
📺: #NOvsATL on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ t.co/qfHpsgO69p
Thomas scored twice on Terrell, who then had a tough time against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2, when Cooper Kupp amassed 11 receptions, 108 yards and two scores.
Things hardly got any better for Terrell in Week 3, when he was beaten for another touchdown, this one to DK Metcalf, against the Seattle Seahawks. To his credit, Terrell rebounded to hold Amari Cooper to just one catch on four targets when the Falcons beat the Cleveland Browns 23-20 in Week 4.
Terrell is allowing 62.2 percent of passes thrown his way to be completed, according to Pro Football Reference. It’s the second-highest completion percentage of Terrell’s career and a far cry from the 50 percent he allowed in 2021.
Although his numbers are down, Terrell remains the most important member of Pees’ defense. The Bengals proved as much when Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase burned Atlanta’s attempts to play man coverage by throwing away from Terrell.
Ideally, he won’t be out for long and will return refreshed and ready to prove Woodson right.
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Hall of Famer Names Fallen Falcons Star One of NFL’s Best