2021 NFL Mock Draft: Washington Football Team goes offense in Round 1

The Cardinals have put the pieces in place to have a quality offense. Now, they have to focus on building things up more on the defensive side to find success.

Right now, the team has a couple of areas of weakness on that side of the ball. They need some help on the interior defensive line but more importantly, they need help at the cornerback spot.

Last year, Patrick Peterson and Dre Kirkpatrick started a majority of the games for the Cardinals. Peterson is set to turn 31 before the start of this season while Kirkpatrick turned 31 during last season. Each showed some signs of slowing down, and outside of Byron Murphy, the team doesn’t have a lot of youth at the position. Robert Alford and Jonathan Joseph, two other players well into their 30s, are the other notable corners on the roster.

Adding a true No. 1 corner to take some of the pressure off Peterson seems like a good move. Caleb Farley is a good value here, so having him slotted here makes sense.

Farley sat out last season for the Hokies, but in 2019, he had 12 pass defenses and four interceptions for the team. He was excellent in coverage and well could be the best corner taken in this draft. Depending on how he works out this year, he could leap into the top 10, so the Cardinals are getting a good value.

Farley’s 6-foot-2 frame and solid athletic ability would pair well with Peterson, so this pick makes a lot of sense. Christian Barmore could also draw consideration, as could some extra help on the defensive line, but for the time being, Farley provides a better player at a bigger position of need.