The Chicago Bears are always on the lookout for potential hidden gems each year. Their local pro day which will include prospects who originally come from the Chicago area, along with Northwestern and Notre Dame prospects, offers a big chance to do just that. It worked out well with Cameron Meredith a few years ago. Matt Kaskey hopes to be next.
Don't feel bad if you don't know the name. A lot of people don't. That's because top NFL draft prospects tend not to come out of the Ivy League. That areas is known more for it's top quality education than sports. Ryan Fitzpatrick, the most successful Ivy Leaguer in recent memory, was a 7th round pick.
Kaskey is hoping to follow in his footsteps and prove that players from his conference can make it at the NFL level. He certainly looks the part a 6'7 and around 320 lbs. He seems to have considerable power and moves well with his feet. Yet those aren't his best traits, according to him. He told Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic what that is.
“You put in so much work, it’s kind of a release, getting on the field and being able to go all out and kind of be an asshole out there. It’s a competitive advantage,” he said. “They don’t play as hard when they’re worried that you’re a huge douchebag out there. It’s the best way to play offensive line and the most fun way.”
Matt Kaskey would certainly give the Chicago Bears front a reputation
Being able to move well and use power is one thing. What coaches really want out of offensive linemen is a willingness to finish. To keep guys blocked until they hear the whistle. That takes a certain degree of nastiness. Something not every offensive lineman has. Based on his tape, Kaskey most definitely has it.
The last player who genuinely stood out with this kind of attitude is Olin Kreutz, though based on his size Kaskey looks more like "Big Cat" Williams. Can he play like them though? The tape suggests there is something there. How much is unknown because he never played against top competition. The Bears may want to bring him in and let Harry Heistand take a look.
If anybody can channel the "douchebag" elements of his play into something positive, it's their stud offensive line coach.
His final year at Dartmouth, Kaskey had a significant impact. They rushed for 2,547 yards and 26 touchdowns as a team. They finished 9-1 in 2018, coming up just short of the Ivy League championship, losing their only game to eventual winner Princeton in a 14-9 nail biter.
