The Carolina Panthers played all their home games at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium in their first NFL season. The team has never drafted a player from the Tigers, but could that change in the first round this year with a stellar defensive prospect?
Dave Canales’ team improved in 2025. Despite another losing season, they reached the postseason for the first time since 2017 and were just a couple of minutes away from shocking the Los Angeles Rams. The much-maligned Ejiro Evero is back as defensive coordinator after a secret contract extension, and he needs more across his unit.
The Panthers haven’t used a first-round pick on the defense since 2021, when they took cornerback Jaycee Horn No. 8 overall. They should once again consider a cornerback from the state of South Carolina with their first-rounder this year.
Carolina Panthers should strongly consider breaking the Clemson curse with Avieon Terrell
Avieon Terrell is the dictionary definition of an ultra-competitive performer. What the player lacks in size at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, he more than makes up for in skill.
The defensive back has been one of the premier corners college-wide since his debut for Dabo Swinney as a freshman in 2023. And the Panthers have a decision to make at cornerback.
In Horn and Mike Jackson Sr., they arguably have a top-three cornerback duo in the league, but they are already paying Horn a boatload of money, and Jackson was signed to a cheap two-year extension last offseason. He was the Panthers' best corner in 2025. If that continues, the former Miami Hurricane will be looking to cash in.
With a potential Bryce Young extension looming, could the Panthers look to draft a replacement for Jackson and pair him with Horn? If they decide to go down this route and break the team's Clemson curse, Terrell would be ready to contribute day one as a nickel option before moving to the boundary later in his career.
This allows Evero to keep Horn and Jackson together for another season, allowing Terrell to develop as a rookie. Carolina has struggled to find consistency in the slot, with Chau Smith-Wade not performing to the necessary level.
His size may be a stumbling block for teams to deploy the Atlanta native solely on the outside at the next level, but it’s clear from his Clemson tape that the player has all the talent to succeed. If Carolina drafted Terrell, it would also see a family reunion in the NFC South.
Terrell is the younger brother of second-team All-Pro cornerback A.J. Terrell, another Clemson alum who was drafted No. 16 overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2020 draft. He quickly established himself as one of the premier lockdown corners in the league.
It’s fair to argue the Panthers have more pressing matters on the defense than cornerback currently, but Dan Morgan has been pretty steadfast on them going with the best prospect available at No. 19. Depending on how the board falls, Terrell might just signify that.