NFL Pro Bowl Snub No. 1: AJ Terrell, CB, Atlanta Falcons
Perhaps the Atlanta Falcons as a whole have been overlooked this season.
Sure, they’re just 6-8 so far but if we’re being honest, that’s a bit better than many expected. We already looked at one player who has helped them keep their season as long as they were able to in Cordarrelle Patterson. Now, we look at their best defensive player, AJ Terrell, who was one of the biggest snubs overall.
Terrell is in his second season out of Clemson and has developed into a shutdown corner. In 13 games this season he has 62 tackles with 14 pass defenses and two picks. But what’s been most impressive is the way he’s shut opponents down.
According to Pro Football Focus, Terrell has held his opponent to fewer than 10 yards in seven games. That means in more than half his appearances this year, he’s surrendered less than the equivalent of one first down.
https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1473730157680766991?s=20
Again, Terrell seems to be a victim of name recognition. Being a second-year player, he doesn’t have the same cred as players such as Marshon Lattimore, Jalen Ramsey, or Darius Slay who made it ahead of him. He also doesn’t have 10 picks the way Trevon Diggs — who is also in year two — does.
Having said all that, there’s no reason Terrell shouldn’t have made it this season and really could have been the choice over any of the other four options. He’s been that good in 2021.