For the third time in four years Friday night, the Bengals opted for an edge pass rusher with their first pick when they took Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell at the 41st slot in the second round of the NFL Draft.
In the wake of last week’s trade for three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, it’s the latest first pick the Bengals have ever had in their 59 drafts. They believe the 6-2, 253-pound Howell and his SEC Defensive Player of the Year production is worth the wait.
According to various big boards, Howell is more than worth the wait at No. 41. Pro Football Focus had him at No. 26, Scouts, Inc., at No. 30, and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler at No. 39.
“Bendy edge rusher with standout sack totals. Burst and elusiveness are on Howell’s rush menu, and he pairs it with a refreshing inside spin counter,” writes NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zeirlein. “Howell might not be a three-down player right away, but his ability to create pressure sets him up for a role as a designated rusher, at minimum.”
Which is what they need on the edge, where they hope to see the fruits of what they’ve stockpiled there the last few years. In the wake of losing two-time All-Pro edge Trey Hendrickson, they signed Seattle Super Bowl pass rusher in Boye Mafe in free agency, and he joins on the edge a pair of first-rounders in 2023’s Myles Murphy and 2025’s Shemar Stewart, Howell’s A&M teammate.
The Bengals love how Murphy came on last year when Hendrickson missed the second half of the season and they have to decide if it is enough to exercise Murphy’s fifth-year option for 2027 by next week’s deadline.
That’s $14 million, which usually hasn’t been a problem for the Bengals. But this year they’ve dropped more than an NFL-leading $300 million in active spending since the new league year started last month, and they’re tight enough against the $301 million salary cap that all options are being discussed. Hard to see them not exercising Murphy’s option, but you can also see why they opted for another rookie contract on the edge.
Howell’s arms aren’t particularly long, shorter than 31 inches, but there’s no denying him one key metric.
In his last three seasons, one at Bowling Green and 2024-25 in College Station, he racked up 25 sacks and 33 tackles for loss. Howell, a Kansas City product who turned 23 last week, had 11.5 sacks last season for the Aggies, tied for seventh in the FBS.