The Atlanta Falcons opened the 2026 NFL Draft in the second round, and they used the pick to keep things in the family. With the No. 48 overall selection, the Falcons drafted Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell, the younger brother of incumbent Falcons cornerback AJ Terrell, according to WSB-TV.
The Falcons did not have a first-round pick this year barring a trade up that did not materialize. Atlanta's draft capital this cycle includes the No. 48 pick in Round 2, the No. 79 pick in Round 3, the No. 122 pick in Round 4, the No. 215 pick in Round 6, and the No. 231 pick in Round 7. Selecting the younger Terrell with the team's first available pick is the kind of move that signals organizational continuity and a calculated bet on familiar bloodlines.
Avieon Terrell played at Clemson, where he developed into a starting-caliber cornerback in the Atlantic Coast Conference. AJ Terrell, who was drafted by the Falcons in the first round in 2020, has been a defensive anchor for the team for several seasons. The Falcons paid him on a long-term extension last cycle, and pairing him with his younger brother creates a secondary partnership unmatched in recent NFL history.
For Atlanta sports fans, the pick lands at a useful moment. The Falcons play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta, the same venue that will host eight FIFA World Cup matches this summer. Building roster depth at cornerback ahead of a season where AJ Terrell will draw most opposing offenses' top receivers is a structural improvement that should pay off in the regular season.
Elsewhere in the NFL Draft's second round, Suwanee native and former North Gwinnett High School standout Kayden McDonald, an Ohio State defensive tackle, went to the Houston Texans at No. 36. Eagles Landing Christian Academy product Colton Hood, a Tennessee cornerback, went to the New York Giants at No. 37. Cedar Grove High School defensive tackle Christen Miller went to the New Orleans Saints at No. 42, and Westlake High School's Zion Young went to the Baltimore Ravens.
