Kari AndersonContributing writerSat, April 25, 2026 at 12:27 AM UTC·1 min readIt’s going to be a family affair in Atlanta. In the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, joining his older brother and fellow cornerback A.J. Terrell.
The Terrells learned the news at a family watch party in Atlanta. After Avieon hung up the phone, he and his brother quickly embraced, sharing a nice moment over the prospect of being teammates.
AJ and Avieon Terrell embrace after becoming @AtlantaFalcons teammates ❤️NFL Draft on NFLN/ESPN/ABCStream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/w2hT9NOeFK
A.J. is six years older than Avieon, and has carved a pathway for his younger brother. A.J. played Clemson for three years and won a national championship with the Tigers, earning First Team All-ACC in his junior year before declaring for the NFL Draft. Six years later, Avieon followed in his brother’s footsteps, spending three seasons at Clemson and earning First Team All-ACC honors in 2025 before declaring for this year’s draft.
A.J., though, was a first-rounder, going 16th overall in the 2020 draft; Avieon was selected with the 48th overall pick.