On Friday, ESPN published a ranking of the NFL’s top 10 cornerbacks for the 2022 season (subscription required).
ESPN surveyed over 50 league executives, coaches, scouts and players to help them come up with the ranking, with the voters giving ESPN their top 10 players at the cornerback position. ESPN then rounded up the results and ranked players based on the number of top-10 votes they received and composite average along with a slew of interviews, research and film-study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen.
With all that said, former Tiger and current Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell checked in at No. 9 on ESPN’s ranking of the top 10 cornerbacks for 2022.
Here’s what ESPN’s article, authored by ESPN staff writer Jeremy Fowler, had to say about Terrell with feedback from an NFC scout and an AFC coach, both of whom praised Terrell:
Terrell struggled as a rookie but became a star in Year 2.
“His production last year was insane,” an NFC scout said. “He rarely gave up an explosive play.”
Terrell gave up the lowest completion percentage as the nearest defender of anyone on this list (41.1%, per NFL Next Gen Stats), allowing 30 receptions on 73 targets for 297 yards and three touchdowns. And per Next Gen Stats, his 0.6 yards allowed per snap were the lowest in the NFL among outside corners with at least 300 coverage snaps last season. And one NFL team told me it counted Terrell giving up one explosive play in man coverage all year.
What’s more: The 2020 first-rounder did all this on an Atlanta defense that ranked 26th in total defense and 29th in scoring defense.
“He’s the next really good one for me,” an AFC coach said. “He’s top three to five right now.”
Terrell was named as a second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press after tallying 81 total tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble, 16 passes defended and three interceptions in 16 games last season.
A first-round pick of the Falcons in the 2020 NFL Draft (16th overall), Terrell didn’t allow more than 32 yards in coverage in a game this past season, allowed fewer than 20 yards in 13 games this past season and also recorded the lowest passer rating allowed (47.5) and the lowest completion percentage allowed (43.9), according to Pro Football Focus.
Additionally, per PFF, Terrell yielded only 200 yards over the course of the entire season.
–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
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