Oakland Raiders: Ranking the top ten safeties in the 2016 NFL Draft
By Austin Gayle
Jeremy Cash, Duke
With over 100 tackles in each of his last three seasons at Duke, Jeremy Cash is a volume tackler that has proven that he can make plays all over the field. At 6’0”, 212 pounds, Cash is capable of taking on blocks and producing inside the box, and his ability in excel in shallow zone coverages gives him value as a three down defender.
In man coverage, Cash has traditionally struggled when asked to cover small, quick receivers out of the slot. Also, his lack of elite top-speed makes him a liability in deep zone coverage.
Similarly to Killebrew, Cash could excel at the next level in the right system, for if he is given an opportunity in the same strong safety/linebacker role Deone Bucannon or Mark Barron his transition to the NFL would be a lot smoother.
Like a majority of safeties in this class, Cash is a difference-maker in the box and will continue to develop in coverage, so until he can prove that he can be trusted in deeper coverages Cash will be limited to a rotational role. Look for Cash to come off the board somewhere in the second round.