Should Teams Be Wary Of Drafting Caleb Farley?
Caleb Farley is one of the hot names in the cornerback class for the 2021 NFL Draft. A class that on paper appears to be loaded. Like any draft, a handful of prospects taken in the first round will completely flop. When examining the cornerback class, there isn’t a clear answer on who that bust will be. However, there’s no question Farley looks like the riskiest prospect of that group.
Should teams be wary of drafting Caleb Farley? I think the answer is yes. I won’t go as far as to say Farley will be a bust. However, it’s hard to be a little concerned here. Look, Farley has some tools that give him a shot to make him a successful NFL corner. The Virginia Tech product has size, speed, and ball skills for the position. I get why certain teams like Farley.
There are two major red flags here. Farley opted out of the 2020 season. That’s not necessarily a problem when it pertains to Ja’Marr Chase. I didn’t need to see another snap of Chase in college. I knew what I was getting. I can’t say that about Farley. I needed to see more of him.
Farley doesn’t look like a natural corner. He’s clunky in the back peddle, plays too tall, and just looks like. He’s still a shaky tackler and gets hit with flags. Mostly because he’s overly aggressive. Farley was a quarterback in high school. He’s still super raw and just learning the position.
Farley did play two years of corner at Virginia Tech. I still needed to see more. Especially because his 2019 season was drastically better than his 2018 campaign. We’re not talking about a lot of reps at the position. Farley is still very much a lump of clay. In a loaded cornerback class, the team that takes Farley better be right.
Maybe this isn’t the biggest factor in the world but injuries have now hamstrung Farley. He tore his ACL in a non-contact injury in 2017. This offseason, Farley just underwent back surgery. He also missed two games in 2019 from back spasms. Back injuries are no joke. From mock drafts that are out there, Farley seems to be slipping down the board. Back injuries are tricky and a good way to break the tie for teams leaning towards Jaycee Horn.
There’s a lot of risk here. This cornerback class is loaded. I’m in love with more than one. Can you really take someone like Farley who opted out, lacks experience, and has a concerning bill of health? Sorry but I’ll side with the battle tested corners in the SEC like Patrick Surtain, Jaycee Horn, Eric Stokes, and Tyson Campbell. I may even take my shot with Asante Samuel Jr too. Farley worries me and I’m not sure how teams are 100 percent confident here.
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