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The Tennessee Titans selected cornerback Caleb Farley in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, but that pick has yet to pay dividends after Farley’s rookie campaign ended early due to a torn ACL.
With Farley now having knee and back concerns moving forward, and after not showing much last year, the Titans would probably, at the very least, consider doing things over if they could.
And that’s what Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox has them doing in his 2021 NFL re-draft. Knox picks cornerback Eric Stokes, who went to Green Bay at No. 29, at No. 22 overall for Tennessee. Here’s his take:
Stokes had a terrific rookie campaign, finishing with 14 passes defended and an opposing passer rating of just 71.3. While he might not possess the raw upside of a player such as Jaycee Horn—who went higher in the redraft despite his own season-ending injury—his dependability would be huge for the Titans.
Tennessee ranked just 25th in passing yards allowed last season and surrendered 348 passing yards in a three-point playoff loss to Cincinnati despite logging nine sacks. Having Stokes in that one might just have pushed Tennessee to the AFC Championship Game.
Ryan Tannehill not throwing three picks against the Cincinnati Bengals would have pushed Tennessee to the AFC Championship Game, but I digress…
After seeing the first-year impact Stokes made in Green Bay, it’s hard to argue with the logic behind this decision.
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Granted, Farley has a ton of upside if he can remain healthy, but Stokes is a more sure thing at the moment after having already proven he can hang at the next level following a successful rookie season. Farley, on the other hand, has not, and his injury issues remain a major concern.
Looking ahead to 2022, the Titans are depending on Farley to step into a starting role and will hope he can make the kind of second-year leap that teammate Kristian Fulton did.
Whether or not that happens in any form or fashion remains to be seen. As a result, Farley is arguably the biggest question mark Tennessee has on an otherwise set defense for 2022.
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