All About the Birds were in attendance at the Virginia Tech Pro Day media session on Friday afternoon, and there were four players that answered questions.
Caleb Farley, Cornerback
Farley attended the media session just a few days following his surgery and updated everyone on his situation. He said that the s1 in his back flared up, leading to the surgery. Farley has received a great report from his doctor and is excited to move forward following it. He also admitted that he had spoken with the LA Chargers and that he is a fan of the franchise.
Farley opted out of the 2020 college season and admitted that he was banking on his pro day to leave a lasting impression on his potential suitors. That did not happen for him, and he was frustrated that he could not go and put up numbers for teams to look at before the draft. When asked why he was the best cornerback in the draft, Farley knew that his words would not hold substance, and having not played in over a year and not being analysed by scouts. It is hard to give a true evaluation of what was the number one cornerback prospect in the draft.
The 22-year-old also showed some confidence in himself by saying that his mentality and ability was special. Farley believes that once teams see the imaging of his surgery, it will not be an issue in their decision about drafting him. He also confirmed that he accepted his draft invite, and he will be in attendance in Cleveland. His confidence showed one more time as he said: "If a team wants the best corner in the draft, they'll come find me."
Christian Darrisaw, Offensive Tackle
Darrisaw is one of the best tackles in the draft and felt that he had a great day at his pro day. Having done a lot of rehab, it was a chance for him to show the scouts and coaches that he was okay. Having been physically cleared two to three weeks ago, Darrisaw only did position work.
Darrisaw was grinning with pride when talking about the incredible journey he has had at Virginia Tech. Having been a two-star recruit, Darrisaw admitted he was uncertain about his role upon arrival, but he played with a chip on his shoulder and played to prove his doubters wrong. Darrisaw said that teams saw him as a left tackle when entering the NFL.
The offensive tackle said that he had spoken with the Eagles, and I was fortunate to ask him some questions at the pro day. I asked Darrisaw about the level of defensive competition he had faced and how it prepared him for the NFL; and how he felt about being a potential day one starter.
Khalil Herbert, Running Back
Herbert transferred to Virginia Tech from Kansas before the 2020 season, and it saw him have a career year. He broke 1000 yards rushing for the first time in his college career and had 1362 total yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns. I was able to ask Herbert about the importance of his transfer to Virginia Tech and his strengths as a running back.
At 5'9, there have been questions surrounding Herbert's abilities in pass protection, but at the Senior Bowl, he showed he could cope with it. The running back also said that he has been continuing to work on his pass protection and catching out of the backfield in an attempt to show teams he can do it all. Herbert added that he wants to an every-down back in the league. The running back said that he had been practising working out of the slot and was also working on running NFL route tree's as he steps up his preparation into the pros.
Divine Deablo, Safety
Deablo said that he had been leaning on two former teammates in Terrell Edmunds and Chuck Clark during this process. Having two established NFL safeties to lean on for assistance has put Deablo in an enviable position in that sense. Last season, Deablo was one of the more experienced players in the Hokie's secondary, allowing him to take on a captain's role. He felt that he did a good job with it, and being a leader is something that will help him going into the NFL.
Deablo said the majority of the teams he has spoken to have discussed the potential for him to play at linebacker. Others still see him as a strong safety, but Deablo is up for the challenge of changing positions. It would not be the first time it has happened to him. After his freshman year, he transitioned to safety from wide receiver, and I asked him what the process of that positional switch was like.