Caleb Farley Scouting Report
One of the most talented players in the 2021 NFL Draft, Farley has dealt with an unfortunate amount of injuries while in college. Dive into the Caleb Farley Scouting report below to learn more about his game.
School: Virginia Tech / Position: CB / Height: 6’2” / Weight: 207 / Class: Jr.
Games Watched: Miami (2019), Boston College (2019), Notre Dame (2019)
Zone Coverage:
Not as experienced in this aspect yet but when he does play in this fashion he does a good job of playing through the quarterback’s eyes. Elite ball skills allow him to break on passes quickly as well. Quick and fluid in his drops. Just needs more experience and refinement in this area, he will get that in the NFL.
Man Coverage:
An absolute lock down man defender, college WR’s did not have enough to beat him. Does a tremendous job of flipping his hips and has easy speed to turn and run down the field. Is great at reading the receivers eyes in man coverage and has an incredible ability to locate the football in the air as soon as he flips his head around. Good size to match up with most receivers as well. Will be an impact player in this regard right away.
Ball Skills:
Just phenomenal ball skills, almost looks like a WR in the way that he attacks the football in the air. Great hands and location ability. Consistently finds ways to not only get hands on the football, but come down with it. A highly coveted trait in cornerbacks and he has it in droves.
Strength:
A player with good strength for the position, he does a good job of using this in press. However he is not an overtly strong player, but does a good job using what he has in this aspect.
Athleticism:
A great athlete for the position at 6’2” and he moves incredibly quickly and fluidly at all times. Farley will have no problems matching up with NFL receivers in this regard.
Tackling:
By far the biggest weakness in his game, Farley does not tackle at all. He does not show any desire to get involved in the run game or play physically in this aspect. While he will not be drafted to tackle, you would still like to see him give better effort in this regard.
Mental Processing:
Does an impeccable job of reading the receivers first several steps and matching them. Rarely bites on route fakes. Great mental discipline which helps in his projection as a zone coverage player.
Press:
Does a good job in press but could use some minor coaching on how to use his hands. Mostly is good at this due to his incredible quickness and intelligence but is a few good hand punches away from being elite in this aspect.
Speed:
Rumor has it he runs a 4.29 40 yard dash. Not much else needs to be said. However it is fair to worry here if his injury history has sapped some of this speed.
Hips:
Has super oily hips, transitions from his back pedal to a sprint effortlessly. One of the most exciting parts of his game by far, he will always be an elite player in man coverage due to this aspect of his game.
Assessment:
A 2020 opt out, Caleb Farley is a fantastic cornerback prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft. The first thing that should be addressed with him is the injuries. In 2017, he tore his ACL and in 2019 has dealt with recurring back spasms. However, I do not have access to these medicals, so I can only grade his on field ability. The best aspect of his on field play is his raw speed. He runs a rumored 4.29 40 yard dash which would make him one of the fastest players in the entire NFL. In addition to this, he is absolutely elite in man coverage and can easily eliminate players due to his speed, timing and athletic profile. The only real question with his on the field play is his tackling as he simply does not tackle. However, for a player with his ball skills you can live with the hesitancy to be physical. A true top flight player in this year’s Draft who, from an on the field standpoint, easily has a round one grade. With the injuries however, I would not be surprised to see him go late on day two.
Grade: First Round
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