Dallas Cowboys Draft Gambles: Is Caleb Farley the next round 2 gamble?

The Dallas Cowboys love to gamble. A trait likely inherited by their oilman owner, the front office at The Star has a reputation for taking big swings in the second stanza of the draft, quite often. From Sean Lee, to Bruce Carter, to Randy Gregory, to Jaylon Smith, the Dallas Cowboys have pushed their chips in before the flop on more than one occasion.

So it’s not exactly a preposterous notion to think Jerry, Stephen, and Will McClay are open to doing it again here in 2021, now is it?

This brings us to the biggest wild card of the draft: cornerback Caleb Farley.

The Dallas Cowboys will seriously consider CB Caleb Farley if he falls to the second round.

Farley, once considered the No. 1 defensive prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft, has been in a freefall on draft boards this spring. Instead of wowing scouts at his Pro Day, Farley announced he’d be having his second back surgery – never something you want to hear from a 22-year-old cornerback prospect.

This is on top of his absence from the 2020 season when Farley opted out, resting on his laurels from 2019. Caleb has assured everyone he’ll be ready to go for his rookie season and this back surgery isn’t as bad as it sounds, but many of those who are familiar with back injuries would probably argue there is no such thing as a minor back surgery.

How far could Caleb Farley fall?

That’s the question at hand. Everyone likes his 2019 film and it’s hard to not adore his 6-foot-2 height, tremendous agility, and blazing speed. But being away from the game in 2020 comes with risk (something all the opt-out guys face), and his limited film only adds to that risk.

we have to keep in mind, the reason Farley’s risky is the same reason he’s available in the first place.

Now we factor in a significant injury such as a back injury which has reared its head a second time. Yikes. Back injuries have a way of lingering and some teams are going to steer clear completely.

First round picks are gold in the NFL and teams need their first round picks to work out. It’s not the round to take risks. So it makes sense he’d fall all the way to the second round, even if he’s highly regarded. Therefore it’s perfectly feasible he could fall 10 spots in round 2, right into the Dallas Cowboys’ laps.

There are reasons for optimism though. Caleb Farley’s surgery is a carryover from his first procedure. When he initially hurt his back, he damaged the joint that connects the S1 and L5 disks. They decided to fix the latter via surgery but let the former heal on its own. Long story short, it didn’t.

Farley aggravated the S1 this spring and had to concede surgery and cancel his pro day. So the back injury isn’t a new one or a reoccurrence of the old one. It was the same injury he suffered over a year ago that was never surgically addressed the first time.

The agent for Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley, @DrewJRosenhaus, said a “bunch of team doctors and trainers” told him after today’s medical recheck in Indianapolis that Farley “did well with his physical regarding his back and is still expected to go in the first round.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 9, 2021

Early reports are good, meaning we may be making a mountain out of a mole hill. Then again, isn’t this the type of thing his agent is supposed to say regardless?

If Caleb Farley falls to 44, should the Dallas Cowboys draft him? As long as they feel good with his medicals, I don’t see why not. He’s a guy with All-Pro traits and would fit perfectly in the Dallas secondary.