2021 NFL Draft cornerback rankings: Patrick Surtain II leads strong group
By John Blair
2. Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech
6-foot-1, 207 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: First round
A player who is still learning the cornerback position is Caleb Farley of Virginia Tech. Farley was a high school quarterback and spent his first year in college as a wide receiver. He made the switch from wide receiver to corner in 2018 and has been an impact player ever since. The best year of his career was in 2019 he was named first-team All-ACC and led the conference in passes defended with 16. Overall, Farley finished with 25 passes defended and six interceptions in just 24 games played.
The thing that has scouts so impressed with Farley is his physical skills. He recently ran a 4.28 40-yard dash which is amazing for someone 6-foot-1 and 207 pounds. He shows this speed on film as well, as he is very rarely beat deep and also has the quickness to get in and out of his cuts with the best of them. Another positive with Farley is his ball skills. He does a very good job of playing the ball for a prospect who has only played corner for two years evident by his high number of passes defended.
The biggest issue with Farley is his injury history. He has battled numerous back injuries in college and will be coming off back surgery this offseason. Farley also missed the 2017 season with a torn ACL. Farley will need some time in the NFL to live up to his potential since his technique is still very raw and he tends to play high at times. One more area Farley needs to improve is on his tackling due to him missing his share of tackles.
Overall, Farley has the most upside of any cornerback in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, his history of injuries and the fact he still needs time to learn the finer aspects of the corner position could push him down to the later part of the first round.