With the 41st pick (2nd round) in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select DE Cashius Howell.
Below is my pre-draft scouting report on Howell:
School: Texas A&M
Ht/Wt: 6’3”, 253 lbs
Strengths:
– Howell is a twitched up athlete with the speed to consistently threaten OT’s around the edge.
– His burst off the line is incredible.
– Implements jukes and headfakes at the start of his rush.
– Has a variety of rush moves in his toolbox.
– Good spin move, good swim move.
– Has the bend to finish plays off.
– Speed and agility to follow run plays to the outside.
Weaknesses:
– Frame is very lean.
– Undersized, which leads to holes in his game.
– Gets taken out of a lot of plays.
– Inconsistent converting speed to power.
– OT’s are able to anchor against him.
– Doesn’t make the biggest impact against the run because bigger OT’s are able to pave him out of the way.
– Not a good edge setter.
Summary:
Howell is an interesting case study. The classic case of athleticism vs frame. His speed, bend, and burst are all in the top tier. His get off is amazing, and it sets the tone for a lot of his reps. His speed threatens OT’s, while his bend finishes the play off. However, his frame is lean, and there are times where he gets pushed around. He is inconsistent when it comes to converting speed to power, while his impact against the run is highly inconsistent. The athletic traits are exciting and his ceiling is high. But until he gets stronger and becomes a more complete player, he is a situational pass rusher.
| Grade: 81.5 | Round Grade: 2nd |
Howell is undersized and inconsistent against the run. However, the flip size is that he brings elite athleticism – burst, speed, bend. He’s got all the athletic traits that translate into high end pass rush production.
Additionally, Howell provides some contrast in the DE room. They went with size and ability to play the run as factors in the Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart picks. Here, they go for an athlete with the ability to shed OT’s around the edge.
With this pick, the Bengals DE room has quite the logjam. In addition to the three young guys, the Bengals have newly signed Boye Mafe, who will also be looking to make an impact. They lost Trey Hendrickson this offseason, but there is a lot of young talent in that room.
