Caleb Farley Draft Profile
Scouting Report
Caleb Farley is one of the most interesting prospects in this year’s draft. The combination of size and speed makes Farley a top prospect in this year’s draft, but his game is still very raw. At his pro day, Farley measured in at 6’2 200 lbs. and ran a 4.28 40 yard dash. While that sounds great, the big news to come from his pro day is that he need back surgery. Farley will be out for a few months and will miss offseason activities and training camp. This will cause Farley to fall into the middle/late first round.
As I mentioned earlier, Farley has all the intangibles which will undoubtedly excite an NFL general manager. Farley’s ball skills are one of his biggest strengths and he thrives when he can read the offense. He is best in zone coverage and would do well in both Robert Saleh’s cover three or in a Tampa two defense. For most corners, you never want to get in trail technique when you are behind the receiver. Farley actually thrives in trail technique where he can show off his speed. When it comes to planting and driving, Farley can get after the ball. Farley’s eyes make him a great prospect, he does a great job at breaking up passes when the receivers eyes get excited. Farley’s success depends on where he ends up, he can be one of the best corners in the NFL if he ends up in a heavy zone defensive scheme.
Farley’s biggest concern has to do with his health, but if he can get healthy there are still big problems with his game. The first issue is his ability to shed blocks and make tackles. He gets over powered and struggles tackling powerful runners, just ask AJ Dillon. At the line of scrimmage he has a very low stance which is good, but he is flat footed. He struggled against double moves and he didn’t matchup well against Chase Claypool in 2019. Farley struggles in man coverage especially against physical wide receivers. When it comes to punching, Farley’s hands have practically no power. He won’t be used in press coverage. I think Farley will be drafted a lot lower than people are expecting.
Farley’s injury concern and physicality worries me. I don’t think he is aggressive enough to be a lockdown cornerback, but he can be a ball hawk in the right system. As I mentioned earlier, he’d be a great zone corner in the Robert Saleh scheme. At pick #23, Farley could be a plug and play guy for the Jets. The Cardinals need a new corner now that Patrick Peterson is a Viking or in Green Bay at the end of the first round. Farley reminds me a lot of Jamel Dean, a 6’+ corner with a ton of speed.
Film Study
Eyes + Instincts 8.5/10
Ball Skills 6.5/8
Hands 5/8
Footwork 4.75/7
Physicality 4/7
Size + Speed 7/7
Man Coverage 3.25/5
Zone Coverage 4.5/5
Tackling 3/5
Overall: 46.5/62
Final Rating: 75
Pro Comparison: Jamel Dean
Team Fits: Jets, Packer, Cardinals
Draft Ranking: Second Round Pick
Draft Projection: Pick 15-29