Broncos Have Spoken With Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley

Is cornerback off the table for the Broncos at pick No. 9? It would appear it's very much in play still.

Potentially using the No. 9 overall draft pick to add another cornerback might be some serious front-office overkill, especially when you consider just how heavily the Denver Broncos have invested in new free-agent acquisitions Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller.

That being said, elite corners are always worth their weight in gold, as the Broncos found out to their competitive disadvantage last season after the injury bug took a decimating bite out of the unit.

Top-ranked college corners like Alabama's Patrick Surtain II and Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley have been the prospects most frequently linked to the Broncos pick No. 9, at least prior to GM George Paton’s spending spree.

Farley revealed on Friday that he had still been in close contact with the Broncos, raising the chances that Paton adds even more talent on the outside.

“I have spoken with Denver on a Zoom call. Pretty much the whole staff,” Farley told the Colorado Springs Gazette's George Stoia. “And I believe I have another Zoom call coming up with them pretty soon in the next following days. I also enjoyed talking to the Broncos and their staff.”

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Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley, a projected first-round pick, missed his pro day due to his back procedure, but here, courtesy of @Bommaritos, was his most recent 40 on March 5th, when performance coach Pete Bommarito said he timed Farley at 4.28 in the 40. pic.twitter.com/cibdZeGUGJ

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 29, 2021

Given the Broncos' depth at corner, it’s likely that Farley might have to serve out a rookie apprenticeship behind the likes of Fuller especially considering the back surgery he's about to undergo, but Farley is talking up his chances of making a more immediate impact.

“I know Kyle Fuller is a fellow Hokie so I think that’s a great move by Denver and if I were to get selected to Denver, it would be great to come in and be around those guys and just pick everybody’s brains and develop to be the best person I can be,” Farley explained. “But I feel like day one, I’m a starter. And I feel like day one, I’m a guy that can match up against a team's No. 1 [wideouts]”

RELATED: Finding Broncos: Caleb Farley Scouting Report

That back surgery might cause Farley to slide further down the draft board, so trading down and still landing him could be Paton's next power play. Banking on the star Hokie to drop significantly wouldn't come as much of a surprise after his year of inactivity from opting out, so the Broncos doing their homework on the 22-year-old makes all the sense in the world. 

Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL.

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