2020 NFL Draft: Carolina Panthers 7-round mock
By John Buhler
Second Round
38. Scouting Report. A.J. Terrell. Clemson Tigers. player. 879. Pick Analysis. CB
Losing a talented player like James Bradberry to the New York Giants in his free agency stinks. Though the Panthers were able to bring back safety Tre Boston on a long-term deal, they’ll need to address cornerback very early in the 2020 NFL Draft. Fortunately, the guy for them is right there in their backyard in Clemson Tigers cornerback A.J. Terrell.
In his three years at Clemson, Terrell made the College Football Playoff every season, winning a national title as a sophomore in 2018 and playing for another in 2019. Terrell was First-Team All-ACC last year for Clemson, opting to leave school a year early and enter the NFL Draft.
At 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, Terrell can be a moveable piece Rhule can use right away in re-establishing the Panthers’ defensive identity. In 38 career games at Clemson, Terrell had 101 total tackles, 13 pass breakups and six interceptions for 160 yards and a touchdown.
As long as the Panthers address cornerback with one of their three top-100 picks this year, they should be able to come out of this draft in pretty decent shape. Going with one at No. 7 overall feels like a big reach, so going with a guy with plenty of big-game experience in Terrell feels like a good way to go. Plus, Clemson, South Carolina is firmly in Panthers territory. You have to love that.