LB Blake Cashman becomes first Gopher selected in NFL Draft since 2017

Blake Cashman is now the first Minnesota football player to be selected in the NFL Draft in two years.

In the fifth round on Saturday afternoon, Cashman heard his name called as the 157th pick by the New York Jets. He’s the first Golden Gopher to be selected since 2017, when Jalen Myrick was taken in the seventh round.

Cashman was one of just eight B1G defenders to tally over 100 tackles in 2018, finishing the year with 104 stops. Though he played in 48 career games while in Minneapolis, he saw a major increase in his production last fall. He also had 15 tackles for loss and six pass break-ups.

There weren’t many glowing reviews from NFL scouts on Cashman, primarily that he’s a football guy who plays hard and has a good attitude. He’s been flagged for shoulder surgeries and the inability to shed blockers and get to the football.

Despite the knocks, Cashman showed some impressive improvement in his senior season and could potentially contribute somewhere down the road if the right situation. But getting on the field might be a challenge for him in the NFL.

Then again, he was told the same thing when he arrived at Minnesota, so who really knows what he can do in the NFL?

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB