2020 NFL Draft: 3 defensive players 49ers target with second Round 1 pick
By Peter Panacy
879. . Cornerback. Tigers . A.J. Terrell. 2. player
With veteran cornerback Richard Sherman entering a contract year, and younger corners Ahkello Witherspoon and Emmanuel Moseley looking to solidify roles this upcoming season, one should be able to understand why adding a cornerback in this year’s NFL Draft should be a high priority on San Francisco’s wish list.
Especially considering many a young defensive back struggles in the initial transition to the pro ranks.
Yet Clemson’s A.J. Terrell appears to be the kind of player who can hasten that transition. At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Terrell already has the lanky body type the 49ers prefer for a boundary corner.
| Tackles | Def Int | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF |
| *2017 | Clemson | ACC | FR | CB | 10 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | ||
| *2018 | Clemson | ACC | SO | CB | 14 | 40 | 13 | 53 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 95 | 31.7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | ||
| *2019 | Clemson | ACC | JR | CB | 14 | 24 | 10 | 34 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2 | 65 | 32.5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Career | Clemson | 74 | 27 | 101 | 3.5 | 0.5 | 6 | 160 | 26.7 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 2 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 3/10/2020.
And with an impressive 4.42 40-yard time at the NFL Combine, Terrell was also able to flash his speed.
But Terrell’s fit goes above the intangibles. He has excellent press skills, which might help him overcome his thinner frame, and the instinctive abilities already emulate many of the top cornerbacks at the NFL level.
Terrell has some shortcomings, including some questionable reaction skills, and these will likely drop him towards the early phases of Round 2.
If San Francisco can’t trade down and values what it sees in Terrell, however, a slight reach for a promising corner wouldn’t be a bad move at all.