Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

Inside the Draft Room

An inside look at the Bears BGN Mock Community Draft War Room: “Alright fellas, it’s draft time! As picks in our BGN community mock draft began to fly off the board, we at the Chicago Bears Headquarters were biting nails fiercely and praying to the football gods above that a QB would fall to us here at pick 20. Seriously ANY QB! Then the worst happened… Trey Lance...Darn you 49ers! Justin Fields… Curse you Lions! And no, not Michael McCorkle Jones! Go suck some lemons Patriots!

Fear began to overcome our war room! What can Matt Nagy, Ryan Pace, and I do to maintain our jobs for next year? Well, at least I’ll be safe, lol, because those other two are lame-duck goners! There were some good choices at pick 20, but something sexy had to be done (and by “sexy”, I mean flashy and controversial for Nagy and Pace to have a chance). I thought seriously about taking Kellen Mond cuz why the hell not?.... But, I used some common sense and landed on a good pick. I could have gone Offensive Line, but I decided to risk it for the biscuit and possibly land the steal of the draft in Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech”

Examining the Bears

How bout them Bears! Seriously, they went 8-8, ya know the eternal record for Dallas! The Bears are just a frustrating team, and that’s coming from an Eagles fan.

The Bears thought they had the defense and believed they simply needed a competent placeholder to take them far and upgrade Mitch Trubisky. Well, our guy St. Nick did at least give the Bears a spark. They started off 5-1 and beat the soon-to-be Super Bowl champs in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And hey, those Bears somehow eked out a playoff spot, only to be humiliated on Nickelodeon! But, at least Mitch Tribisky finally got that MVP he so deserved! Great voting kids!

*And here’s your reminder that you all needed to hear today: BDN Foles is Tom Brady’s Dad! (Shake his hand next time you childish chump)

But there were too many other problems on the Bears. As a Nick Foles super fan, I ended up watching Bears games often. And let me tell you, you guys thought Dougy P’s offense was bland? Just take a look at his younger brother from another mother, Matt Nagy’s offense. It’s horrible. So bad, that he gave up play-calling duties during the year. Seriously, I could run a better offense in madden plays. But that wasn’t the worst part. The Bears offensive line is hot garbage. Often injured Cody Whitehair and Charles Leno are the best players and that’s telling you something. Nick Foles had no chance running for his life behind that line. Nickelodeon MVP Mitch Trubisky has mobility and that led them to be more successful down the stretch after his break on the bench and get to the playoffs at the end of the season, but serious work needs to be done to this team. The defense was once good, but has injuries and needs more players. They are not at the elite force they once were. The Bears need work, but yet still have the ability to get to the playoffs and win games if things go well.

Team Needs

Everything! (Besides a Khalil Mack)

Ok, not true! This isn’t the Eagles, lol. But the Bears have serious holes including at the most important position of the game. Now don’t get me wrong, Mr. QB1(Andy “the red rifle” Dalton) is great for leading teams to the playoffs, but how’s that playoff record again? They need a QB! But reaching for one in round 1(besides the top 5 QBs) will not get you fired at the end of the season, cuz you’ll be fired by week 5 instead. So I couldn’t do that. Bears need serious O-line help, but with Caleb Farley on the board, it was a no-brainer! Farley was a top-10 selection before news of his back injury. Is that injury scary? Sure. But for a Bears team that can afford to make long-term risks that look sexy in the short term, this was great! Farley fell in the draft and we scooped him up. The Bears really need him too. Long-time corner Kyle Fuller(who felt like an annual Eagles Offseason trade target, lol) is gone. Their slot guy Buster Shrine also left in free agency. All they had left was a draft pick from a year ago, Jaylon Johnson. They were able to sign Desmond Trufant in free agency after getting cut by Detroit. And you know how the story goes after you get cut by Detroit, lol!

The Pick

Caleb Farley will come in this year and ideally compete for playing time to take over a starting role on Defense. He’s raw, and has a concerning injury history… but everything seems to have checked out fine at the combine according to Adam Schefter on the injury front.

Farley without his injury concerns is a top 10 ten pick! Dude is pretty special. People including Chris Simms (guy who might correctly predict the Mac Jones to SF at 3 pick) called him a “generational talent.” Farley is tough and sniffs out the ball everywhere he goes. Textbook ball hawk. He’s also a hard-nose hitter and his recovery speed to the ball makes him super dangerous(yes, even more than Baker Mayfield), along with his 6 ‘2 height to swat the ball away. He’s a legit FREAK! He also genuinely loves the game as seen in his recent interview with Chris Simms.

Link to Chris Simms Interview:

Measurables and Scouting Report (from YouTube videos)

Caleb Farley Obligatory Spider Graph Chart:

Positives: Big and Fast Corner that can hit extremely hard. He’s a ball hawk and has great ball skills. He’s a hard worker and tenacious. A good character and willing to work hard as his transition from QB to CB suggests. Breaks up passes with his long frame and is effective in run support. His recovery speed is awesome.

Negatives: Injury issues. Opted out in 2020. New to the position and needs more coaching to improve the overall techniques of his game. Can improve ball tracking in coverage with coaching as well.

Transition from QB to WR to CB: Back in his high school days in North Carolina, Farley wasn’t a cornerback. He was a quarterback! (Sorry for the tongue twister, lol!) He passed for 4,511 yards and 50 touchdowns in his career and ran for 5,529 yards and 71 touchdowns.

Farley wanted to be a special athletic quarterback who could run, but teams didn’t see nor recruit him as one. Instead, they saw Farley’s elite athletic potential and body type and asked to convert him to wide receiver. Farley committed to Virginia Tech in April of 2016 and enrolled early in 2017. During his true freshmen year there, Farley had to deal with and overcome so much adversity and challenges. His mother died of breast cancer that year and he ended up having to undergo surgery to prepare a torn ACL. While the road back was tough, nothing seemed too tough for Farley! He battled his way back and was then faced with another position change. This time to cornerback. Farley began to line up at cornerback in 2018 and immediately made an impact as a redshirt freshman. He was learning the positions, but with his athletic ability and football smarts, Farley recorded two interceptions and seven pass deflections.

Caleb Farley’s breakout 2019 season: In 2019, Farley showed himself why he deserves to be treated as one of the best defensive players in this draft class. He allowed a completion on less than 50% of targets that came his way and had four interceptions along with 12 pass deflections in just ten games. Farley became a first-team All-ACC honoree. Farley wanted to return for the 2020 season but due to COVID and his mother recently dying of another health issue, Farley thought not playing would be in his best interests to keep his family safe.

Highlights vid:

Player Comparison

My player comp for Farley is Marshon Lattimore. Now, Lattimore was a little more refined in his technique as a corner than Farley simply due to the fact that he didn’t transition from QB to WR to CB like Farley. But both are long corners with speed. Lattimore also had injury concerns and only started 16 games in college due to significant hamstring issues. Both are also fiercely competitive players who love the game. We saw how Lattimore turned out in the NFL, now it’s Farley’s time to shine! And I believe he’s ready!

What the Draft Experts are saying about him

Tony Pauline: “Caleb Farley checks almost all the boxes at cornerback. He’s athletic, he’s long, he’s physical, and he’s proactive as a playmaker. Some cornerbacks wait for the play to come to them, and that passive coverage can get them beat. Farley, however, stays keyed in on the catch point, and every time the ball comes his way, he plays the ball and tracks it with feverish focus. Mock drafts predictably have Farley as a lock to go Round 1. The question is where he’ll end up. Farley’s athletic testing numbers should match the explosiveness and range he shows on film. His physical profile might best emulate the CB1 mold.”

Conclusion

While the Bears need lots of help and should prioritize fixing their offensive line, getting a potential steal of a Star corner is too big to pass up! After all, the Bears are known for their defense. Will Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace keep their jobs next year? I think the Chicago River has a better chance of being dyed purple next year on Saint Patty’s day, than for that to happen, lol! So gotta make a big Bear splash this off-season for old times' sake. No Russell Wilson… No Deshaun Watson… No Fields, Lance, Jones… NO PROBLEM! Mr. QB1 and a certain Super Bowl 52 legend will battle it out in camp in a competition for the ages! Meanwhile that Bears defense can begin improving back to the dominant force it once was with a new up-and-coming CB to bring some juice and swag!

It was fun guys! Next up, the team with a certain privileged QB who walked away from his city and franchise to be reunited with his Uncle Frank! Hope he gets us that first-round pick next year!

Times yours, BGN readers!

2021 BGN Mock Draft Order

1) Jaguars (Phoenix X Minimus): QB Trevor Lawrence
2) Jets (eagles.north.of.the.border): QB Zach Wilson
3) 49ers (I Need a Username): QB Trey Lance
4) Falcons (chewy wellington): OT Penei Sewell
5) Bengals (Dr_Horrible): WR Ja’Marr Chase
6) Dolphins (20Safety_Hazard): TE Kyle Pitts
7) Lions (drc242): WR DeVonta Smith
8) Panthers (wildcatlh): QB Justin Fields
9) Broncos (ItownBallers22): CB Patrick Surtain II
10) Cowboys (Kephas): OT Rashawn Slater
11) Giants (Billmington): WR Jaylen Waddle
12) Eagles (ablesser88): CB Jaycee Horn
13) Chargers (Georgia_eagle): LB Micah Parsons
14) Vikings (Philliesandthebees): OT Alijah Vera-Tucker
15) Patriots (SakPrescott): QB Mac Jones
16) Cardinals (Carson Wentzs ACL): CB Greg Newsome II
17) Raiders (dshelton5): LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
18) Dolphins (J. Wil): DE Kwity Paye
19) Football Team (Negadelphia Norm): LB Nick Bolton
20) Bears (Happy24): CB Caleb Farley
21) Colts (Fly Like An Eagle):
22) Titans (Friendly Neighborhood Philly Fan):
23) Jets (Asap Stocky):
24) Steelers (Gregnado):
25) Jaguars (“Snax”):
26) Browns (gerouxman1956):
27) Ravens (Brendanekstrom):
28) Saints (grantspectations):
29) Packers (Philly_Philly):
30) Bills (doublefry):
31) Chiefs (Leo Bedio):
32) Buccaneers (phuckdallas):

Now it’s time for you to vote for who YOU think should be selected in the 2021 BGN Community Consensus Mock Draft.

1) Jaguars: QB Trevor Lawrence
2) Jets: QB Zach Wilson:
3) 49ers: QB Justin Fields
4) Falcons: OT Penei Sewell
5) Bengals: WR Ja’Marr Chase
6) Dolphins: TE Kyle Pitts
7) Lions: WR DeVonta Smith
8) Panthers: OT Rashawn Slater
9) Broncos: QB Trey Lance
10) Cowboys: CB Patrick Surtain II
11) Giants: LB Micah Parsons
12) Eagles: WR Jaylen Waddle
13) Chargers: CB Jaycee Horn
14) Vikings: OT Alijah Vera-Tucker
15) Patriots: QB Mac Jones
16) Cardinals: CB Caleb Farley
17) Raiders: LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
18) Dolphins: RB Najee Harris
19) Football Team: OT Christian Darrisaw
20) Bears: