Can Farley Follow in Fulton's Footsteps?
In a perfect world, the Tennessee Titans will get a huge bump from the return of a healthy Caleb Farley in 2022.
The path the Titans would love their 2021 first-round pick to follow is similar to that of cornerback Kristian Fulton, their second-round pick in 2020.
Fulton was limited to just six games his rookie season due to injury, COVID-19 and inexperience, but blossomed in 2021 and became the defense’s top cornerback. He allowed completions on just 51 percent of targeted passes, broke up a team-high 11 passes and allowed a quarterback rating of just 75.3 on throws in his direction, per Pro Football Focus.
Do the Titans believe Farley could do the same in 2022? If so, it could pave the way for the release cornerback Jackrabbit Jenkins to be released, a move that would free up $6.9 million worth of salary-cap space. That would likely mean a top three cornerbacks of Farley, Fulton and Elijah Molden for next season.
It’s unclear, though, if Farley’s return – and potential big second-year impact – will go as smoothly as did Fulton’s.
Fulton’s knee injury, for instance, wasn’t as severe as Farley’s. Though Fulton did sit out eight games as a rookie, he returned to the active roster for the last three regular-season games and the playoff loss to Baltimore. He played -- sparingly -- in only two of those contests, but that was more about all the practice time he missed than it was about injury.
For Farley, the torn ACL in Week 6 against Buffalo was a season-ender, meaning his on-field education went up in smoke at that point. That was particularly significant given that Farley played cornerback for only two years at Virginia Tech (2018-19) and opted out of the 2020 season because of COVID-19 concerns. So, Farley will enter 2022 having played just three football games since the end of the 2019 season.
In addition, knee was the latest in a string of physical setbacks. He also tore an ACL in 2017, underwent two back surgeries prior to the NFL Draft in 2021, and missed three straight games early this season with a shoulder injury.
There’s clearly still excitement about Farley, a 6-foot-2, 197-pound cornerback who was timed unofficially at 4.28 seconds in a 40-yard dash prior to the draft.
But there’s also a realization that challenges still lie ahead for him.
“I mean, the guy is ultra-talented, super-talented,” safety Kevin Byard said after the season. “He’s a first-round draft pick. Obviously, he’s going to have a long offseason.
“His offseason has kind of already started. But he’s going to have a long rehab process, especially when it comes to OTAs and things to work himself back. So, I think that’s going to be another hurdle he’s going to have to overcome. But that’s like one of my offseason to-do lists is kind of putting my arm around (Farley) and obviously Kristian Fulton as well, being a young player who made a lot of strides this year.”
Fulton plans to offer Farley help also, sharing his experience as a high draft pick whose progress was slowed by injury as a rookie.
One tip Fulton he already has offered? Work on the injury rehabilitation not only at the Titans’ facility, but away from it.
“Yeah, the coaches encourage us to try to get extra treatment outside the building,” Fulton said. “That’s where I made my big jump my second year. So, I’m definitely talking to (Farley) about that. And, obviously, honing in on the film, stuff like that. So, we talk a little about that.”
Fulton also wants to make sure Farley tends to both the mental and physical sides of returning from a serious injury.
“First he’s got to come back mentally – you know, prepare,” Fulton said. “I know it’s tough dealing with those injuries, so I just want to make sure he’s ready mentally before he can get on the field physically.
“I think he’ll be fine. He knows the game of football. He’s a great corner. He wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t. (I’ll be) just helping him any way I could in the offseason. I made a big stride my second year, so I look forward to helping him make that stride.”
