NFL Draft rumors: Are Saints trying to trade up for Caleb Farley?

The New Orleans Saints are a candidate to trade up in the first round, and Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley might be the target.

The New Orleans Saints have the 28th pick in the first round Thursday night, with a lot of directions they could go. General manager Mickey Loomis said he doesn’t see many holes on the roster, and with that seemingly in mind Ian Rapoport of NFL Network has reported the Saints are “doing the most groundwork” in exploring ways to trade up in the first round.

Rapoport specifically wondered about a cornerback as the target for the Saints. That backs up what head coach Sean Payton said about corner as a position they need to address in the draft, with the departure of Janoris Jenkins leaving a void (77 percent of the Saints’ defensive snaps in 2020).

Within the first 10-15 picks, Patrick Surtain and Jaycee Horn are widely tabbed as the top cornerbacks that will go off the board. But the Saints may have someone else in mind.

Are the Saints targeting Caleb Farley?

For some analysts, Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley is the best cornerback in this draft. He opted out of the 2020 season, and a second back surgery this spring adds to medical concerns. He’s likely to still be a first-round pick, but a fall is definitely possible.

The Tennessee Titans have the 22nd pick, and at least one updated mock draft on Thursday morning has them taking Farley there. So the idea the Saints would need to get ahead of the Titans to get him seems well-founded, for what mock drafts are worth.

If the Saints are eyeing a move into the top-10, it’s more likely for Surtain or Horn than Farley. It simply won’t be necessary, most likely, to move up 18 picks to get Farley if he’s the No. 1 corner on their board. But if they really like someone, giving up the draft pick capital to get the guy they like best is not out of the question. And the tea leaves point to, if it’s a cornerback they want to move up for, that guy being Farley.