The Denver Broncos have hired their new general manager and have officially handed out a new leaf. George Paton succeeds John Elway and one of the main assets of the new GM is the No. 9 overall selection the team has in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.
The Broncos could follow a multitude of directions in election 9, but in the expected version 1.0 of the false draft NFL.com Daniel Jeremiah (a former explorer), the prospect that many draftniks see as the top corner of the class falls on the Denver lap.
Third 9: Denver Broncos: Caleb Farley, CB
School: Virginia Tech | Year: Junior (RS)
I think Farley has incredible talent and satisfies the need for Vic Fangio’s defense.
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No doubt Farley would make a lot of sense for Denver, but I would be surprised if Patrick Surtain II, of Alabama, is the first corner. Jeremiah makes Surtain go to Philadelphia in Selection 6.
We won’t know Farley’s exact measurements until the NFL scouting combination (though it looks exactly), but his school ranks him at 6 feet 2 and 197 pounds. One of the concerns with the talent on the corner is that he opted for the 2020 college football season, so that when his tacos hit the turf in the NFL regular season, he will go through a two-year absence.
Farley is very, and I mean, very talented. And it would be the ideal fit for Fangio’s defense, which emphasizes the propensity to cover areas, disciplined eyes, and good instincts. Farley could thrive on a press-focused scheme, but Fangio’s unique system would also suit him.
But Fangio’s scheme also demands approaching it from its corners. And that is “non-negotiable.”
The approach is possibly Farley’s least developed tool in the toolkit, but it could be trained by Fangio and defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, the latter specializing in defensive backs. Farley arrives with the exclusionary concern that fitness and fitness should be questioned, but he also has a torn ACL on his injury jacket suffered in 2017.
Still, Farley is tall, athletic and physical. It wouldn’t take long to grab Fangio’s defense and shine.
In two years at Virginia Tech, Farley added six interceptions and 19 passing breaks. If he landed in Denver, he could quickly take on the No. 1 corner role, which Paton might be looking for if, in fact, the rumors are true and the Broncos cut bait with AJ Bouye.
Farley, Surtain and Jaycee Horn, in South Carolina, are the nooks and crannies to watch when the Broncos score on the April draft. Depending on how the board falls.
If you want to delve deeper into Farley and all the Broncos ’most likely options in selection 9, check out Mile Huddle High’s first 2021 NFL draft which debuted Friday night. It gets very hot in the press and is included below.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen i @MileHighHuddle.