A.J. Terrell: The Falcons’ Lockdown Corner Who’s Quietly Dominating
A.J. Terrell has quietly emerged as one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL, and the stats back it up. His lockdown defense has made him a cornerstone of the Atlanta Falcons’ defense, and his ability to limit receiving yards has earned him respect from all corners of the league. In fact, Falcons defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake put it succinctly: "He's that guy."
What makes Terrell so special? For one, he’s been targeted on just 12% of his coverage snaps this season, ranking him among the NFL’s lowest. Only Jaylon Johnson and Patrick Surtain II have been targeted less. Cornerbacks like Terrell often go unnoticed because offenses tend to avoid them, but that's the sign of elite coverage. With a game plan that allows Terrell to be deployed across the field in various coverages, quarterbacks are forced to think twice before targeting him.
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One of Terrell’s standout features is his sticky coverage, especially in zone defense. Despite playing zone coverage on nearly 80% of his snaps, he allows just 2.4 yards of separation on average when a pass is thrown his way, a mark that ranks among the top 10 in the league. Even more impressive, Terrell forces a tight-window throw on nearly 28% of his targets, which means opposing quarterbacks have to make difficult throws with little margin for error.
When Terrell does give up a reception, he's right there to make a play. He allows just 82 yards after the catch from 38 completions, one of the lowest totals in the league. This ability to minimize yards after the catch, combined with his tenacity in coverage, makes him one of the toughest corners to beat. His willingness to tackle also plays a role in limiting yardage. Despite allowing a relatively high completion percentage (65.5%), his coverage success rate stands at an impressive 51.7%, proving his ability to limit damage even when a receiver does catch the ball.
Terrell’s ability to excel in both zone and man coverage adds to his value. When the Falcons need to match him up against a top receiver, Terrell delivers. He has been targeted just 15 times on 106 snaps of man coverage, and he’s forced tight-window throws on 53% of those plays. His ability to shut down No. 1 receivers and force difficult passes has been a critical factor in Atlanta's defensive turnaround since the Week 12 bye.
Since that bye, Terrell has been nearly untouchable, allowing just five receptions for 46 yards on 10 targets over his past four games. His passer rating allowed during this span is an astounding 62.9. Among cornerbacks with at least 75 coverage snaps in this stretch, Terrell has allowed the second-fewest receptions and ranks third in target EPA (-10.8). He has helped the Falcons significantly improve their defense, which now ranks second in total defense and fifth in points allowed per game.
Terrell’s play has been vital to the Falcons’ overall defensive resurgence. After allowing over 350 yards per game in the first 12 weeks, they now rank among the league's best. Terrell's ability to shut down opposing receivers is a huge reason for this success, and if the Falcons hope to maintain this defensive momentum, they’ll need him to continue being "that guy" for the rest of the season.
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