The 2021 NFL Draft takes place April 29-May 1 this year, emanating LIVE from Cleveland, Ohio. As it stands, the Tennessee Titans have one first round draft pick. General manager Jon Robinson and head coach Mike Vrabel currently hold the 22nd overall selection. Over the next few weeks, your boy “Big Natural” Stoney Keeley will be taking a look at some of the prospects who are either rumored to be tied to or who make sense for the Titans. Today, we’re lookin’ at Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley.
Farley’s name has begun popping up in mock drafts to the Titans like crazy as of late. It makes perfect sense as to why the Titans would select one of the most talented corners in the draft at #22 if he’s there. That need has been well-established, and I’ve written and talked about (on The Unofficial Titans Podcast, shameless plug) it for the last several weeks…the Titans absolutely have to get a starter at corner in this draft. The question about Farley is that back injury. He opted out of the 2020 season over concerns about covid-19, which is a totally rational decision that each player made based on his own situation. That opt-out shouldn’t be the issue. It’s whether or not he can be the same player he was in 2019 – when he had 12 PBUs, and four picks (one of which was returned for a touchdown) – after surgery to repair a bulging disc in his back. There’s no lack of confidence from Farley, who believes he’s well on schedule to play by training camp, and that the injury won’t be an issue at all once healed.
Farley is the prototype when it comes to the physical traits of playing the cornerback position – solid size, freakishly athletic, and the man can run with anyone. His speed is one of his greatest assets and enables him to do a lot of things well..including recovery, closing, and protection against deep routes. There’s plenty of tape out there of him playing press man and off man coverage, so he’s well-versed in playing the position and has a demonstrated capacity to play it either way. That’s important for a Titans team that A) needs guys good in man coverage and B) regularly touts ‘scheme versatility.’ That athleticism gave him a wide coverage radius at Virginia Tech, but I worry about a lack of polish at the next level.
Savvy route runners can beat this guy, and the NFL is littered with freak athletes and nifty route runners. I also noticed that he doesn’t get his head around to locate the ball quite enough. Smarter, more talented NFL quarterbacks will be able to take advantage of that with ball placement. Several plays show Farley allowing receivers to get a slight step on him because he didn’t identify the route early enough. His athleticism got him back into several plays, and he was able to break up passes. But, I’m worried about how that translates to the NFL, and how it could lead to him getting burned against good quality receivers.
All in all, you see the physical characteristics of this guy, and it’s easy to see that “holy shit” vision for him. With the right coach and the right fit on defense, he could improve upon that route recognition. If he does, he has the traits to be one of the best cornerbacks in the entire NFL. That’s what makes him such an intriguing prospect. If fully healthy, I think this dude’s a lock for a top 10 pick. He was downright dominant in 2019. For the Titans, I wonder if they’re going to be willing to roll the dice on an injury history at the position when they just struggled to get Adoree Jackson on the field in 2020. After blowing up the secondary, they need bodies in the defensive backfield. Then again, they rolled the dice on Jeffery Simmons in 2019, and that paid off well. It all depends on how you feel about that injury, and whether or not you can mold Farley into his full potential. This is a mega-high-ceiling prospect.
Further Reading: Caleb Farley believes back injury a non-issue with draft nearing
2021 TITANS FIRST ROUND OPTIONS
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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