10 prospects 49ers should avoid selecting in 2021 NFL Draft

No. 1 49ers Prospect to Avoid: Cornerback Caleb Farley

It wouldn’t be shocking at all to see the 49ers use their top pick, No. 12 overall, in the NFL Draft on a cornerback. And when breaking down the top three options likely available, the would-be choice would be between Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II, South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn and Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley.

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Many a big board has Farley ranked as the No. 1 corner for this year’s draft. And given his impressive tape from 2020, combined with his natural skills at 6-foot-2 and 207 pounds, it’s not hard to see why.

Much like Derion Kendrick, Farley is a converted wide receiver, but Farley doesn’t show the rawness to his game.

Instead, the concern is twofold in other departments.

For starters, that impressive tape stemmed solely from his 2019 campaign. Another 2020 opt-out, Farley also has a notable injury history that includes a 2017 ACL tear and back issues suffered in 2019. On top of that, Farley isn’t much of a surefire tackler and isn’t necessarily a good fit in a zone-style defense either.

Simply put, there’s a notable boom-or-bust risk with Farley, and a cornerback-needy team like the Niners would be much better off going with a player like Surtain or Horn if it wants to spend a first-round selection on this position.