Maiden Native NFL Draft Prospect: Caleb Farley

MAIDEN, NC – The 2021 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 29th, in Cleveland, as the world will finally get to see where the top college prospects land at the next level. Someone to keep an eye on is North Carolina’s own Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley.

Farley, who was born and raised in Maiden, North Carolina, was a Maiden High School alumni. He played quarterback for the Blue Devils and had a tremendous career totaling 10,425 combined rushing and passing yards and 124 touchdowns. That included a breakout senior season where he racked up 21 passing touchdowns and 37 rushing scores for the Blue Devils.

After being a human highlight reel at the high school level, it rewarded him an opportunity to play for the Virginia Tech Hokies. He was first listed as a wide receiver, but after some early injuries, Farley transitioned to cornerback, showcasing his tremendous athleticism. After switching positions, he would immediately become one of the nation’s top cornerbacks in all of college football.

After deciding to opt-out in his Junior year, in two seasons spent with the Hokies, Farley had 56 tackles, 19 passes defended, and six interceptions. His lankiness at 6 foot 2, pure talent, and field vision made it tough for any wide receiver to have production against him.

In the early stages of the draft process, the NC native was projected to go in the top ten. However, due to a minor back procedure in the offseason, his stock may drop a little.

Heading into the draft, he is now expected to be 100 percent healthy and will be an easy top 20 choice, with top 10 talent. Any team that has the honor to announce his name on draft day will be getting a major steal, as this is someone who has all the intangibles to become a future Pro Bowler.

The ideal destination for a player like Farley is with the Arizona Cardinals at 16, but do not be surprised if he doesn’t even make it that far. If the Cardinals drafted him, he would instantly become one of their top corners and would benefit from playing with a great defensive front. If anyone in this draft class can be Patrick Peterson’s successor, it is NC native Caleb Farley.