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The Tennessee Titans have landed their young cornerback in the 2021 NFL draft after selecting Virginia Tech product Caleb Farley at No. 22 overall.
One year after the Titans made a huge mistake with Isaiah Wilson in the first round, general manager Jon Robinson is back to rolling the dice once again in 2021, although this time around it makes more sense with the team’s need at the position after letting Adoree’ Jackson and Malcolm Butler go.
Farley was considered one of the best cornerbacks in this draft class, and the best overall by some experts. However, a pair of back surgeries in his past badly hurt his draft stock, allowing him to fall to the Titans at No. 22.
While the concerns about Farley are understandable, it’s a risk the Titans had to take in this spot, as it isn’t everyday teams can land a player with the kind of potential the Virginia Tech product has this late in the first round.
Farley has outstanding size (6-foot-2, 207 pounds) that allows him to match up with big-bodied receivers on the outside, but he also has impressive speed to keep up with faster wideouts.
The man is an athletic freak, as he played quarterback and running back in high school, and originally played at wide receiver in college. When you watch him on tape, it’s hard to believe he transitioned to corner in 2018.
When you combine his size and athleticism with his top-notch ball skills, Farley has elite shutdown corner written all over him if he can stay healthy.
Adding to all that, Farley excels in man coverage, which makes him an ideal fit for what the Titans want to do defensively, and with the current group of cornerbacks on Tennessee’s roster, he could challenge for a starting spot immediately.
Chalk this pick up as a winner for Tennessee. Sure, it comes with some risk, but the possible reward was simply too much to pass up.
Grade: A
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