Could Caleb Farley be the premier cornerback of the 2021 draft class? The Tennessee Titans are sure hoping so, as they used the No. 22 selection to pick up the Virginia Tech product.
Farley only started playing defense in 2018, starting out as a hopeful wide receiver but switching to the other side of the ball after an injury sidelined him during his true freshman year. It didn’t take him long to get used to his new gig, picking off two passes in 2018 and adding four more interceptions in his sophomore, first-team All-ACC campaign. The biggest concern for Farley entering his pro career is durability, seeing as he recently underwent back surgery and had some other health issues throughout college.
Here’s the rest of the rundown on this potential shutdown corner.
Measurables: 6'2"/207
School: Virginia Tech
2020 stats: opted out
Accolades: 2019 First-Team All-ACC
Strengths:
- Has the speed and route recognition to play man coverage against a team’s X receiver
- Big, physical presence
- Has great patience to let route develop because of his physical tools
- Ball hawk mentality
- Great recovery and burst. If he guesses wrong, he can get himself back in a play within reason. He’s rarely completely out of a play, as he can make up ground and then some.
- Can make open-field tackles and will wrap up
- Has potential to be even better considering how recently he picked up the position
- Formerly played wide receiver, perhaps helping with timing and route recognition
Weaknesses:
- Will sometimes bite/overreact in an attempt to make the big play, leaving other opportunities open for the offense
- Didn’t always take best angles when pursuing a tackle, with some bad misses
- Recently underwent back surgery, causing him to miss Pro Day, but he claims it won’t be an issue. Not his only injury concern
- Sat out of 2020 season, meaning he only had one effective year of college production
Expert scout analysis:
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
- “...possesses rare size for the position and does an excellent job of utilizing his frame and length…”
- “...needs to continue to improve his technique and discipline as he displays inconsistencies staying connected to routes…”
- “Needs more coaching to improve fundamentals and technique.”
Joe Marino, The Draft Network
- “...brings a rare blend of physical traits to the table in terms of size, length, quickness, fluidity, and athleticism that he pairs with exceptional man coverage skills…”
- “...has game-changing ball skills and is an alpha in coverage.”
- “...sharpening his zone coverage skills would be beneficial.”
Sam Monson, Pro Football Focus
- “...isn’t perfect, but his issues all seem coachable and stem from minor technique issues…”
- “A cornerback as big and as fast as he is can obstruct so much space within a throwing lane and a passing window, essentially decreasing the size of every target a quarterback is throwing to.”
Tape:
Pro comparison: Nnamdi Asomugha
Asomugha’s frame was up there with some of the bigger corners of his day, as the longtime Raiders and (much less memorably) Eagles and 49ers cornerback possessed a 6-foot-2, 210-pound stature. For a time, he was as elite as anyone at completely taking a team’s WR1 out of the game in press coverage, using his physique and speed/athleticism — he ran a 4.45 40-yard dash — to go up against top targets. Should Farley reach Asomugha’s peak, which resulted in three Pro Bowl appearances and two first-team All-Pro selections, his first-round value clearly makes sense.
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