5 linebackers the Vikings could select in the 2019 NFL Draft
By Chris Schad
Blake Cashman (Minnesota)
Measurables:
Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 235 pounds
2018 Stats:
- 104 total tackles (62 solo)
- 5 pass breakups, 2.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble
If Wilson is the hypothetical faller, Cashman has become the riser of the 2019 linebacker class. Quietly buried on a Minnesota defense that struggled at times this year, Cashman skipped the Gophers’ final game and proceeded to go bonkers at the scouting combine in Indianapolis.
While there are many things that you can nit-pick about any prospect, the one thing that Cashman does well is getting to the football. Even as college teams tried to throw misdirection at him, Cashman kept finding his way to the ball carrier and his aggressiveness found himself in the backfield more times than not. Of course, that means that Cashman could be too aggressive, but that’s not a major problem.
The Minnesota Vikings currently have Barr and Kendricks locking down their starting spots, but Cashman could serve as an upgrade to Ben Gedeon, who doesn’t do anything horribly, but doesn’t do anything well. Adding the former Gopher into the fold would provide more than just feel good, one of us headlines for Minnesota.