Michael Nania breaks down some of New York Jets linebacker Blake Cashman‘s strengths and weaknesses.
Strength #1: Pass rushing upside
Gregg Williams used Cashman relatively frequently as a pass rusher. Cashman rushed the quarterback on 9.9 snaps per game, the highest total among Jets off-ball linebackers. He rushed on 29.5% of his snaps in the passing game, which was the seventh-highest rate among off-ball linebackers in the entire league.
Cashman was one of the more productive rushers on the Jets roster, as his pressure rate of 12.3% ranked sixth out of 16 qualified front-seven players on the team, but that rate only ranked him 52nd out of 82 linebackers in the league.
This could be the facet where Cashman is most heavily relied upon to make an impact. So long as the Jets remain healthy at inside linebacker, it’s possible that Cashman moves to a role in which he will rush the quarterback even more frequently (especially considering the weaknesses at EDGE). If so, he will need to take his efficiency up a few notches.
Cashman shows off some excellent balance on this blitz, rumbling through to deflect a Baker Mayfield pass.