With the 22nd pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the Tennessee Titans select Caleb Farley, cornerback, Virginia Tech.
Analysis: There are some outlets and/or evaluators that have Farley as high as CB1 on their boards, and when you watch the Miami game you can see why. He has some elite traits at the position, such as that recovery ability, and given his relative inexperience at playing corner, you can see room for growth and a potentially high ceiling. His background as a quarterback also gives him a great feel for the game, and where to get on each route to disrupt the play. He might need time to round out the press-man part of the game, and the medical history requires some further examination, but this is a talented player who can contribute immediately — as long as he’s healthy.
Grade: B. Getting a player of Farley’s talent with the 22nd overall pick is amazing value for a team in desperate need at the position. I had Farley going to Tennessee in my final mock draft, and this is what I wrote.
Now that the Titans have boosted their edge-rush prowess with Bud Dupree and Denico Autry in free agency, it’s time to turn their attention to a cornerback group that lost its most efficient 2020 member, Malcolm Butler, to the Cardinals. Janoris Jenkins is a nice fill-in if Tennessee wants to play more zone coverage (which the Titans should, because they were absolutely atrocious last season when they played man), but more needs to be done. There are legitimate medical questions about Farley’s back, which is why he could fall to this spot, and he unfortunately will miss the draft in person after testing positive for COVID.
But when he’s on the field, Farley is the best versatile cornerback in this class, with the ability to play man and zone equally well; press and off-coverage. Farley proved in 2019 (he opted out in 2020) that quarterbacks were not going to beat him anywhere on the field — against throws of 10-19 air yards, he allowed one completion on 12 targets. And against throws of 20 or more air yards, he gave up four catches on 15 targets. Farley could be the steal of the draft if the medicals check out over time.
