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The Denver Broncos have hired their new GM and have officially turned a new leaf. George Paton succeeds John Elway and one of the main assets of the new general manager is the No.9 pick the team hold in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Broncos could go in a multitude of directions to choose 9, but in the highly anticipated version 1.0 draft of NFL.com Daniel Jeremiah (a former scout), the prospect many draftniks see as the best cornerback in the class falls right into Denver’s lap.
Choice 9: Denver Broncos: Caleb Farley, CB
School: Virginia Tech | Year: Junior (RS)
I think Farley is incredibly talented and fulfills a need for defense from Vic Fangio.
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Without a doubt, Farley would make a lot of sense for Denver, but I’d be surprised if Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II is the first corner off the board. Jeremiah a Surtain travels to Philadelphia at choice 6.
We won’t know Farley’s exact measurements until the NFL Scouting Combine (but it seems exactly), but his school lists him at 6ft 2in and 197lbs. One concern with the talented corner is that he has chosen not to participate in the 2020 college football season, so by the time his studs hit the NFL regular season grass, it will be on the heels of an absence of two years.
Farley is very, and I mean, very talented. And he would be an ideal choice for Fangio’s defense, which emphasizes zonal cover propensities, disciplined eyes, and good instincts. Farley could thrive in a man-centric system of the press, but Fangio’s unique system would suit him as well.
But Fangio’s plan also requires tackling its corners. And it is “non-negotiable”.
The tackle is arguably Farley’s least developed tool in the toolbox, but it could be trained by Fangio and defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, the latter specializing in defensive backs. Farley comes with the churn worry where conditioning and fitness must be questioned, but he also has a ripped ACL on his jacket from the injury suffered in 2017.
However, Farley is tall, athletic and physical. It wouldn’t take long for him to understand Fangio’s defense and shine.
In two years at Virginia Tech, Farley had six interceptions and 19 pass breakouts. If he lands in Denver, he could quickly take on the role of No.1 cornerback, which Paton could seek if, indeed, the rumors are true and the Broncos cut the bait with AJ Bouye.
South Carolina’s Farley, Surtain and Jaycee Horn are the corners to watch when the Broncos hit the clock in the April Draft. Depending on how the board falls.
For an in-depth look at Farley and all of the Broncos’ most likely options to Pick 9, check out MHigh Huddle’s Island 2021 NFL Draft Primer which debuted on Friday night. It has come off the press and embedded below.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
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