Tag: Caleb Farley

2021 NFL draft: A cornerback for Chargers in each round

The Los Angeles Chargers need to get younger and add more talent at cornerback.

Cornerback sits near the top in regards to positional groups that need to be addressed in the upcoming draft for the Chargers.

Luckily, this year’s crop has talent from the first day of the draft all the way until Day 3.

With that being said, here’s one from each round that could fit in Los Angeles:

Round 1 | Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech

Farley opted out of the 2020 season but racked up 12 passes defensed and four interceptions in 11 games in 2019 en route to earning first-team All ACC honors.

Farley, the wide receiver convert, is still relatively new to the position. However, he has just scratched the surface of how good he could become, as he possesses the size, burst, agility and ball skills to become a solid NFL corner.

Farley projects as a high-end outside corner at the next level, who can step in immediately and contribute for the Chargers. Plus, he would only benefit from having defensive guru Brandon Staley’s expertise while he continues to grow into the position.

Honorable Mention: Jaycee Horn, South Carolina

Round 2 | Greg Newsome, Northwestern

Newsome was a key piece in a Northwestern defense that finished No. 1 nationally in team pass efficiency defense and No. 5 in scoring defense (15.5 points per game). He totaled 71 tackles, 20 pass breakups, one interception and one fumble recovery in three seasons for the Wildcats.

As Northwestern’s boundary corner, Newsome was tasked with eliminating the short side of the side, either in quarters or press-man coverage. The 6-foot-1 and 190-pound corner is a technician who has fluid hips to stay with receivers, good eye discipline and physicality against the run.

Newsome would be an immediate contributor for the Chargers and has the ability to be a strong starter for years down the road.

Honorable Mention: Asante Samuel, Jr., Florida State

Round 3 | Keith Taylor, Washington

Through his four seasons for the Huskies, Taylor posted 90 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 10 passes defended. He went on to participate in this year’s Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he was arguably one of the best corners on display.

It’s noteworthy that Taylor didn’t produce any interceptions in college.

While there’s some concerns with his ball skills to create turnovers, he displays the athleticism, spatial awareness, competitiveness and length to stay attached to receivers, projecting as someone to grow into a long-term solution in the secondary as a strong No. 2 corner.

Honorable Mention: Trill Williams, Syracuse

Round 4 | Shakur Brown, Michigan State

One of my sleepers in this year’s class, Brown burst onto the scene in 2020 for the Spartans, playing his best football of his collegiate career. The 5-foot-11 and 190-pound corner posted 25 tackles, five interceptions, four passes defensed in seven games played.

Brown was one of the nation’s top play-makers, showing plus instincts, use of hands in press man coverage and awareness to decipher route combinations. Along with that, he does a fine job at playing with his back to the quarterback and shows good ball skills to come away with the rock.

Brown missed multiple games in 2019 due to an injury. But those concerns aside, he has key traits that can’t be taught that will allow him to rise to the top of a depth chart quickly, capable of playing inside or outside at the next next level.

Honorable Mention: Benjamin St-Juste, Minnesota

Round 5 | Olajiah Griffin, USC

The son of famous rapper Warren G, Griffin, a highly touted five-star recruit, played for three seasons with the Trojans. In total, Griffin accounted for 67 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 13 passes defensed and one interception.

Standing at 6-foot and 175 pounds, Griffin shows excellent athleticism, acceleration to turn and run with receivers, competitive nature & good use of hands at the line of scrimmage in press to disrupt the release and the short area quickness to close on receivers.

At the next level, Griffin must add some mass to his frame, improve his play strength and eye discipline in man coverage. But overall, his intriguing traits will enable him to become a starting corner down the road.

Honorable Mention: Rodarius Williams, Oklahoma State

Round 6 | DJ Daniel, Georgia

Daniel joined Georgia in 2019 as a JUCO transfer. In two seasons, he recorded 51 total tackles, including three tackles for loss, and nine passes defended. Lost in the shuffle due to the presence of Tyson Campbell and Eric Stokes, Daniel still showed out in the secondary.

Daniel has an ideal build for the position at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds with plus length, smooth hips, and quick feet. He has the long speed and reactive athleticism, but needs to improve his play strength, especially in the run game. Overall, Daniel can grow into a high end contributor by Year 3.

Honorable Mention: Robert Rochell, Central Arkansas

Round 7 | Deommodore Lenoir, Oregon

Lenoir was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2019 and started 33 consecutive games. The 5-foot-11, 203 pounder recorded 158 tackles, six interceptions, 21 passes defended, four tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery during his Oregon career.

Lenoir is at his best man coverage using physicality at the line of scrimmage, good change of direction to stay in phase and good ball skills to break up passes. However, he does lack ideal long speed, needs to anticipate the ball better downfield and show consistent effort defending the run.

Overall, with growth in the areas mentioned above, you can expect to see him get more playing time further on into his professional career.

Honorable Mention: Bryan Mills, North Carolina Central

2021 NFL draft film room: Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley

See for yourself what Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley brings to the table as a 2021 NFL draft prospect

As we look ahead to the 2021 NFL draft, it’s time to get acquainted with some of the top prospects in this year’s class.

What does Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley bring to the table? Check out the film and see for yourself:

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49ers scoop two top needs in Draft Wire 2-round mock

The San Francisco 49ers filled a couple key needs in a mock NFL draft.

The San Francisco 49ers have enough needs that almost any iteration of a mock draft will make some semblance of sense before free agency. Regardless of how free agency shakes out though, their two selections in a two-round mock from our friends at the Draft Wire could make a ton of sense.

With the 12th pick, the 49ers nab Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley. He’s a highly-touted CB prospect who could conceivably be off the board by the time San Francisco picks on Draft Day. They get lucky in this mock though and he falls to them.

The 6-2, 207-pound defensive back didn’t play in 2020, but in just two college seasons managed to post six interceptions and 19 pass breakups. He figures to slide in as a starting outside cornerback on Day 1. Given the number of holes the 49ers have to fill, it’s very easy to see them being in a spot where they can comfortably take a cornerback early in the first round.

Their second selection at No. 43 overall fills a need on the interior of the offensive line with Alabama guard Deonte Brown. Brown played both guard spots in college but finished his career as a star right guard for the Crimson Tide.

That spot on the offensive line was without question a weak point for San Francisco last season, and a scenario where they aim for one in the second round means they likely had a successful free agency that left them in a spot where they could solidify that position with one of their top picks.

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Chargers 2021 NFL Draft Target: Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez puts Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley under a microscope.

Over the next couple of months, we are going to be taking a look at a handful of draft prospects leading up into the 2021 NFL Draft. With the Chargers having needs at various positions, we will do our best to evaluate the players that we feel fit the team precisely.

Today, we are taking a look at Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley.

Vitals

Height | 6-2

Weight | 207

College Bio Page

Highlights

One-Liner

Still relatively new to the position, Farley has just scratched the surface of how good he could become, as he possesses the size, burst, agility and ball skills to become a Day 1 plug-and-play starter.

Strengths

Very well built and looks the part with outstanding size. Uses it to his advantage to jam receivers to boundary.

Comfortable in zone coverage with excellent plant-and-drive.

Fluid and quick with outstanding transitional quickness to take away the underneath passing game.

Outstanding speed to run with receivers down the field.

Excellent balance and body control. Exceptional lower-body explosion and leaping ability to play the ball in the air.

Former wide receiver. Reliable hands, natural ball skills — Six interceptions in two seasons.

Weaknesses

Still new to the position. Didn’t play cornerback until 2018.

Needs to do a better job seeing, recognizing and anticipating route concepts.

Does not consistently come to balance in the open field to secure tackles.

Not much of a large sample size in press coverage.

Chargers Fit

Given the uncertainty at the position, Farley projects as a high-end outside corner at the next level, who can step in immediately and contribute for the Chargers and would only benefit from having defensive guru Brandon Staley mentoring him while he continues to get familiar with the position.

Projected Round: Top-15

Mock Draft Roundup: Cowboys favoring CB, OL prospects

The Cowboys have plenty of need for 2021, but most mocks have them eyeing Patrick Surtain or Rashawn Slater… with one notable surprise.

The sudden appearance of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford into the pool of acquirable talent may have shaken up the big boards of many teams around the league and caused some to rethink their draft strategy. But seemingly not the Cowboys. Despite the uncertain long-term employment prospects of Dak Prescott in Dallas, No. 4 isn’t going anywhere in 2021. And that means the front office’s objective with the tenth overall pick is unlikely to change.

Could Jerry and Stephen Jones trade out of that spot to a club eager to pay out, reach up, and snatch a top-ten-talent youngster? Of course, but the Cowboys’ needs are too glaring across the board to not view that early selection as a prime opportunity to bring an elite superstar-in-the-making into the fold.

While some of this week’s mock drafts forecast movement among teams based on a Stafford trade, none of the scenarios here had the Cowboys moving out of the tenth pick. Two names came up repeatedly- one on offense and one on defense- that would beef up areas of obvious weakness. Another mock entertained the familiar notion of a name Cowboys fans have had repeatedly this offseason. And one hypothetical draft went outside the box to add a playmaker to a positional group that is already top-tier in the league.

New mock draft has Cardinals landing talented CB

They land Caleb Farley with the 16th pick in the draft.

Arguably the Arizona Cardinals’ biggest area to address this offseason is cornerback. They only have Byron Murphy, Robert Alford (who has not played a down in two seasons) and a guy named Picasso under contract. Patrick Peterson, Dre Kirkpatrick, Johnathan Joseph and Kevin Peterson are all set to become free agents.

The NFL draft will be one way to add talent. In a new mock draft from CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso, the Cardinals land one of the most talented corners in the entire draft class.

With the 16th pick of the first round, they select Virginia Tech corner Caleb Farley.

No one will be shocked when Patrick Peterson is on a new team in 2021. The Cardinals need to get another cornerback to round out the secondary.

Peterson might be elsewhere in 2021. He could return. However, it is clear the Cardinals need more talent at the position. Pairing Farley, who is ranked as the top corner by CBS Sports, with Murphy for years to come is what teams want.

In this mock, Farley is actually the third cornerback selected. He did not play in 2020, having opted out of the season, but he had four interceptions in 2019 and was great.

A top corner in the first round? No one should complain about that.

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Mel Kiper’s new mock draft has Cardinals landing talented CB

They land long, fast CB Caleb Farley in Kiper’s first mock draft of the year.

It is NFL draft season and that means mock drafts for the next few months. While there will be scores of them in the coming weeks and months, few get more attention than those that ESPN analyst Mel Kiper puts together.

He released his first mock draft of 2021 and, as things go at this time of year, it is an attempt to balance needs with talent.

For the Arizona Cardinals, who pick 16th in the first round, he has them filling one of their biggest needs of the offseason, landing a talented cornerback.

As of now, he projects the Cardinals will select Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley.

Arizona could have openings at both corner spots this offseason, with veterans Patrick Peterson and Dre Kirkpatrick both on the free-agent market. If the Cardinals decide to move on from the over-30 corners, this is the best place to find a new starter. One of the first prospects to opt out of the season, the 6-foot-2 Farley looked like a star on the 2019 tape, but he is still raw. He has played defensive back only since 2018. I could also see the Cardinals keeping an eye on the wide receivers in this class; Christian Kirk has not been consistent enough to show that he can be their No. 2 wideout alongside DeAndre Hopkins.

Farley did not play in 2020 choosing to opt out of the pandemic season. He had four interceptions and 12 pas breakups in 2019 as a sophomore. He has great length for the position and is believed to be blazing fast.

As the draft approaches, it will be interesting to see how far up in the first round he goes in mock drafts. Long, fast corners with ball skills don’t tend to last to the middle of the first round, but if he does, he would make a nice addition to a secondary that needs help.

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Giants select CB Caleb Farley in latest The Draft Network mock

In the latest 2021 mock from The Draft Network, the New York Giants select Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley at No. 11 overall.

The New York Giants have needs at multiple positions headed into the thick of the offseason. But with uncertainty surrounding the salary cap and its 2021 ceiling, much of their work will need to be done during April’s draft.

That leaves the door open to any number of picks, including the potential additions of an offensive lineman, wide receiver, tight end, edge rusher or cornerback.

Early mock draft have resembled a hodge-podge for the Giants for that very reason. There’s no consensus whatsoever and if we’re being honest, that makes things more fun.

In the latest mock from The Draft Network’s Benjamin Solak that uncertainty continued. Ultimately, Solak settled on Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley, but acknowledged that general manager Dave Gettleman could go in a different direction entirely.

Projecting for the Giants is tricky. You can’t rely on the David Gettleman hog-molly bit, as their defensive trenches are set—though a surprise pick on the offensive line is certainly within the cards. A splash at wide receiver would also make sense, though two of the top three players are gone; an improvement at EDGE rusher is still necessary, though the board isn’t great for EDGEs early in the first round.

We have seen Gettleman make big investments in the secondary recently. They traded up to spend a first-round pick on DeAndre Baker in the 2019 draft, a top-40 pick on Xavier McKinney, and spent big money on James Bradberry in free agency. Their efforts have been rewarded. With the additions of Jabrill Peppers, Logan Ryan, and Julian Love, the Giants have a strong secondary group. It’s just another outside CB away from being elite.

Caleb Farley replaces Isaac Yiadom at that spot. He won’t have to follow WR1s early, which is to his advantage, and he brings great man and zone flexibility—important for Patrick Graham’s defense in New York.

Although some would love the pick of Farley, there is one major caveat here… This pick comes with Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith still on the board. Ditto Florida tight end Kyle Pitts and several other potential Giants targets.

As much as the Giants need a quality CB2 and as talented as Farley is, would he be the best choice for a team that is in more desperate need of offensive help?

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PFF’s draft recommendations for Cowboys’ ‘ugly’ defense

Pro Football Focus spotlights the Cowboys’ defensive deficiencies and lists several top college prospects who could help in 2021.

Pro Football Focus has analyzed the Cowboys roster top to bottom and come away with a conclusion that was obvious to anyone who watched the team for more than a few quarters this season.

The new defensive scheme under coordinator Mike Nolan was an “utter disaster.” When it comes to identifying their drafts needs for 2021, the club could literally pick any position on that side of the ball, according to their latest recommendations.

The trouble spots were indeed numerous. In posting 10-plus losses for the first time since 2015, the Cowboys defense in particular shouldered most of the blame. Nolan’s unit was Dallas’s worst at stopping the run since 2000, and they allowed the most points per game in franchise history.

Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch, once billed as the best linebacking duo in the sport, both set career-low grades in PFF’s system. And while edge rusher Randy Gregory was singled out as a bright spot who exceeded expectations, the site’s reviews of the team’s defensive tackles were less than glowing. The Cowboys interior linemen posted a grade that ranked them 30th among all 32 teams; former second-round pick Trysten Hill dragged down that curve significantly with a 33.8 grade, “one of the lowest among the position in the league.”

So how do new coordinator Dan Quinn and the Cowboys address their defensive woes via the draft? Where do they start?

According to PFF:

“Literally anywhere along that defensive line, linebacking corps, cornerback group, safety,” goes the advice. “They could go anywhere on that roster, defensively. That’s how many holes they have. That’s how ugly it was for them this season.”

For what it’s worth, here’s what Pro Football Focus has to say about several of the highest-rated defensive prospects in this upcoming draft, listed by their overall rank within the site’s Top 100. Most- if not all- of these players will be available when Dallas goes on the clock with the tenth overall pick.

Mock Draft Monday: Cowboys focus on defense for Dan Quinn’s arrival

The Dallas Cowboys have a new defensive coordinator and Dan Quinn is going to need a lot of reinforcements to get the ship going in the right direction. If the Cowboys can find some spending capital, they’ll need to address some of their biggest …

The Dallas Cowboys have a new defensive coordinator and Dan Quinn is going to need a lot of reinforcements to get the ship going in the right direction. If the Cowboys can find some spending capital, they’ll need to address some of their biggest needs in free agency, and that is even more of the case when looking at the strengths in this year’s draft class.

There isn’t a Top-10 lock player at either defensive tackle or safety, two of the three biggest needs going into 2021. Assuming Dallas addresses those needs in some level of free agency, they’ll still need reinforcements there as well as front-line starters at other positions. Here’s our attempt to round out those positions with impact players using The Draft Network’s simulator and scouting reports.