Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley will miss pro day due to back procedure

A top player in April’s upcoming draft is undergoing a procedure to address a back ailment.

Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley will have a microdiscectomy on Tuesday, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per Farley’s agent Drew Rosenhaus. Noted back specialist Robert Watkins will perform the procedure, and Farley will not participate in his pro day on Friday, per Rapoport.

Farley’s operation will be an outpatient procedure, and he’ll be returning to Blacksburg, Virginia, and available to meet with teams on Friday, with the expectation Farley will be cleared for full activities before the start of training camp, Rapoport added.

A discectomy is a surgical procedure that involves removing a damaged portion of a herniated disk in a patient’s spine with the intent to treat pain that radiates down arms or legs, according to the Mayo Clinic. A microdiscectomy is done via a much smaller cut in the patient’s back and involves usage of a small camera to locate and remove the damaged disk.

Farley is currently the top-ranked cornerback in the 2021 draft, according to Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50 prospects list, relying on his premier size (6-foot-1, 207 pounds) to stay tight with opposing receivers and consistently interrupt catch attempts.

Farley was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference’s first team for his play in 2019 before sitting out of the 2020 season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, instead preparing for the 2021 draft. Jeremiah’s most recent-mock draft projected Farley to be selected by the Denver Broncos with the ninth-overall pick.

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