Packers draft rumors: Caleb Farley could fall to late first round

Cornerback should be near the top of the shopping list for the Green Bay Packers in this week’s 2021 NFL Draft and they could have a few different options early on.

A player to watch will be Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley.

When healthy, we’re talking about one of the top cornerbacks in the entire class. The trouble is Farley has a long injury history which could cause him to fall down the draft order.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Farley is “likely going to fall, possibly until late first round”. Rapoport added that he doesn’t believe he’ll fall out of the first round completely.

So there’s a very real scenario in which Farley, who Rapoport said he believes would be the first cornerback off the board had he been fully healthy, falls to No. 29 when the Packers will hit the clock.

Make no mistake, this would be a risk for the Packers. Or any team. There would likely be “safer” options available to them.

Farley tore his ACL in 2017 and has since had two back surgeries, including one earlier this offseason. Recovering from another significant injury has to be a cause for concern across the league, which is why there’s a chance he won’t be selected early.

However, at some point, the risk-reward beings to lean more in favor of the latter. For the risk that comes with Farley’s injury history, there is also the possibility that he is able to stay healthy and reach his potential.

If that’s the case, the Packers could get one of the steals of the draft, a player talented enough to go early. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah wrote that “Farley has all of the ingredients to be a No. 1 cornerback at the next level”.

In 23 games at Virginia Tech, Farley made 19 pass defenses and six interceptions, including four in the 2019 season. If he can stay healthy, a combination of Farley and Jaire Alexander could be simply unfair on wide receivers.

If Farley falls as far as the Packers’ pick, should they take him?