New York Jets: Blake Cashman not surprisingly impressive so far

The New York Jets got a steal in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft in former Minnesota Gophers linebacker Blake Cashman.

Stories like New York Jets rookie linebacker Blake Cashman’s are the reason we love the third day of the NFL Draft.

Cashman, who was taken by the New York Jets in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, was a captain out of Minnesota who excelled obviously on defense but made his mark — and earned his scholarship — by going beast mode on special teams.

He started out his college career with the Gophers as a preferred walk-on, and it took him two years to eventually get a scholarship. It’s hard to believe when you consider what we know now, but Cashman wasn’t always a top-flight linebacker prospect.

In fact, he wasn’t a linebacker at all.

He was a converted defensive back who became a team captain at linebacker, but maintained his elite level speed and explosiveness. He ran a 4.50 at almost 240 pounds, and posted a 37-inch vertical jump.

This guy is the real deal, and he has the production to match that athleticism. He racked up 104 tackles with 15 tackles for loss this past season.

Working in with the starters at Jets camp, Cashman got picked into a great situation with the Jets whose defensive coordinator — Gregg Williams — can find ways to incorporate three off-ball linebackers on the field at the same time with a primarily 4-3 alignment.

The Jets aren’t the only team using a 4-3 anymore, but they are a rare team with the personnel to be able to keep their linebackers — big-money free agent pickups Avery Williamson and CJ Mosley along with Cashman — on the field for all three downs if they want.

Cashman can cover. He has range. He can play downhill. He can do a little bit of everything.

He also showed off his interview skills with a pre-draft sit-down with NFL Mocks podcast host Brooks Austin, which you can listen to here:

For whatever reason, the NFL — which is a league in desperate need of linebackers who can play all three downs — let a guy like Cashman slip through the cracks all the way to the fifth round. Some people are higher on Cashman than others but this is a guy who can come in and lead your team in special teams snaps as well as provide your defense with more options than a Swiss Army knife.

I think everyone around the league is going to quickly realize their error in passing on Cashman.