Eagles land Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley in Todd McShay’s early 2021 NFL mock draft

Glenn Erby
·2 min read

With the Big Ten and Pac 12 conferences officially canceling their 2020 college football seasons, several big-time names in the world of college football will now look towards taking their skills to the NFL.

ESPN and Todd McShay decided to get a jump on the mock draft season, dropping his way too early 2021 NFL Draft projection.

Even after a long playoff run by the Birds, the Eagles land one of the NFL draft’s most coveted players in Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley.

27. Philadelphia Eagles
Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech*

He was the first player to opt-out of the college football season, but regardless, Farley registers as my third-ranked cornerback for the 2021 class (behind Surtain and Wade). He has the frame and speed to be a problem for opposing receivers, and he closes in a flash. A former wide receiver, Farley also has the ball skills and instincts to make plays, evidenced by his 12 passes broken up and four interceptions last season. Four Eagles cornerbacks, including Sidney Jones and Nickell Robey-Coleman, could hit the open market next spring. Trading for Darius Slay gives Philadelphia a top-tier CB, but the team still has to address the spot opposite him.

Farley originally intended to play wide receiver upon his arrival to Virginia Tech in 2017 but missed his freshman season due to a knee injury.

As a redshirt freshman, Farley was converted to cornerback, where He finished the season with 36 tackles, two interceptions, and a sack. Farley had a breakout campaign as a sophomore in 2019, earning first-team All-ACC honors after recording 20 tackles, four interceptions, and one touchdown.

A preseason All-American in 2020, Farley returned to Virginia Tech for his redshirt junior season but he then became the first high-profile player to skip the 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic, announcing that he would instead focus on preparing for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Landing with the Eagles, Farley could learn from a crafty veteran, while preparing to take over when Darius Slay is ready to move on.