Caleb Farley injury update: 3 Reasons why the Tennessee Titans made the right selection as rookie CB passes physical

The Tennessee Titans' 2021 first-round draft pick Caleb Farley started his NFL career on the non-football injury (NFI) list. But after passing his latest physical, he is now cleared to return to practice.

#Titans first-round pick CB Caleb Farley has passed his physical and is eligible to return to practice. A good sign that all Tennessee’s pre-draft medical info was solid.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 2, 2021

The reason for Farley being on the NFI list was a back surgery he was still recovering from. His pre-draft back surgery was a major concern for many NFL teams. His durability concerns were the sole reason Farley fell to the 22nd pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

The Tennessee Titans ended Farley's draft-day slide and made him their first-round choice. Many criticized the selection, as some doubted Farley would ever be fully healthy.

His back issues are still a concern, but all signs point to Farley now being as healthy as he's been in a long time. With that in mind, here are three reasons why the Titans made the right choice by taking a risk and selecting Farley in the 2021 NFL draft.

Three reasons why the Tennessee Titans made the right choice when selecting Caleb Farley

#1 - Farley has massive upside

Without health concerns, Farley would have been a top ten pick in the draft. It's as simple as that. Farley and Patrick Surtain were unquestionably the top corner prospects in this year's draft class.

Farley didn't play in the 2020 college football season due to COVID-19 concerns, but his play in 2018 and especially 2019 was more than enough to cement him status as a potential star in the NFL.

According to Pro Football Focus, in the 2019 season, Farley gave up only 18 catches on 50 targets. When targeting Farley in coverage, quarterbacks were held to a 26.8 passer rating. He also had four interceptions. Farley was indeed a lockdown corner.

It wasn't just his play on the field that got everyone excited. Farley's combination of height and speed is rare in the NFL. Farley is 6-foot-2 and can keep up with just about anyone in a foot race. Farley would fit perfectly in a press-man scheme.

His length allows him to quickly get hands-on with a receiver at the line of scrimmage, while his speed allows him to recover against anybody that tries to run deep.

Simply put, Farley has everything an NFL team is looking for in a corner.

#2 - The Tennessee Titans needed corner

If the Titans want to win a Super Bowl anytime soon, they must improve their secondary. Last year, Tennessee just wasn't good enough defensively to be genuine contenders in the AFC.

In free agency, Malcolm Butler moved on with the Arizona Cardinals, and Desmond King signed with the Houston Texans. Tennessee did sign Janoris Jenkins for one of the corner spots, but there was still another spot that needed to be filled.

Coming into the 2021 NFL draft, the unanimous opinion was that the Titans would select a corner in the first round, as the need was obvious. When Farley was still available, the Titans pounced.

With the selection of Farley, the Titans significantly improved their defense. Sure, the risk to his health lingers, but if Farley works out, the Titans will have the corner position figured out for years to come.

#3 - Caleb Farley was fantastic value at pick 22

The NFL is often about weighing risk against reward. That's why talented players get second and third chances when it comes to injuries or off-the-field concerns, while lesser players aren't afforded that luxury.

The risk versus reward logic is a big reason why Farley was an intelligent selection for the Titans. If Farley was less talented, maybe the Titans should've thought twice about picking a guy coming off back surgery, but he was worth the risk due to his immense talent.

If Farley doesn't work out, the Titans will have a wasted late first-round pick. Sure, it's not a great use of resources, but a wasted 22nd overall pick isn't the worst thing in the world.

But if Farley can stay healthy, the Titans will have a lockdown corner, which would be incredible for their secondary. Farley was too talented to pass up that late in the first round.