Should the Cowboys prioritize Caleb Farley or Patrick Surtain in the draft?
By Connor Green
The case for Caleb Farley
The Dallas secondary has struggled to get takeaways. This is a problem that has persisted for the unit over the past couple of seasons. The case for Farley over Surtain II basically boils down to two main arguments. First, that Farley is more polished than Surtain, and second, that he is better at forcing turnovers than his fellow top-tier cornerback talent.
It is true that Farley managed to get more interceptions in his 23 game career with Virginia Tech than Surtain had in his 40 game career at Alabama and that is certainly a point in the young defender’s favor. The 22-year old had four interceptions in 2019, which was the last season he played after he decided to opt-out of the 2020 season.
It should also be mentioned that former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah compared Farley to Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith. Smith has played ten seasons for the Ravens and was apart of the team when they won Super Bowl XLVII back in 2013. Farley, like his NFL comparison, is generally considered to be excellent in man-coverage and would almost certainly be worthy of the tenth-overall pick if he can live up to this comparison.
Some of the concerns surrounding the Virginia Tech product include that he missed a season of football due to his decision to opt-out and he played easier, though still tough, opponents than Surtain in college.
Overall, Farley is a very good prospect and he would instantly improve Dallas’s secondary if the team is able to select him. His ability to force turnovers and the fact that he, like Surtain, has the ideal size for the position should warrant him serious consideration from the Dallas Cowboys if he falls to them in the first round.