2016 NFL Draft: early look at Duke’s Jeremy Cash
By Jon Dove
Duke’s Jeremy Cash is a difference-making safety prospect who’s quickly making a name for himself. He has a chance this season to establish himself as one of the top safety prospects eligible for the 2016 NFL Draft. I encourage everyone to watch a Duke game count how many impact plays Cash produces.
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Duke typically asks Cash to play near the line of scrimmage or in the slot. His toughness and instincts allow him to effectively support the run. Cash does a great job using his hands to keep clean and disengage. He routinely identifies the play and attacks the ball carrier.
This clip shows Cash making a quick read, fighting through a block and preventing the receiver from picking up yards after the catch:
Cash is a versatile player thanks to his run support but also because he’s an effective blitzer. He features great snap awareness possessing the ability to time the snap and shoot the gap. His relentless style of play also helps his ability to generate pressure on the quarterback because he’ll fight through blocks.
This clip is an example of the type of blitzing talent Cash possesses:
His knack for making big plays includes a knack for creating fumbles. He knows how to attack the football and dislodge it from the ball carrier’s hand thus causing turnovers.
Cash’s ability in coverage is a slight question mark because he’s rarely asked to play deep zone. Duke’s tendency to play him in the slot means that he is asked to play an underneath zone or man coverage. He is very effective in the underneath zone because he has a great feel for developing routes.
His ability to hold up in man coverage is a concern because Cash doesn’t show great speed. He will have a hard time hanging with the speedier receivers in the NFL.
This lack of experience in deep coverage only really means that Cash will need time to develop. However, his playmaking ability puts him in the discussion to be one of the first safeties off the board.
Current Draft Position: 2nd Round