Upon losing Trey Hendrickson in free agency, the Cincinnati Bengals needed help to rush the passer. The player they selected with their No. 41 overall pick was already named the best defender in the toughest conference in college football.

Cashius Howell set the tone from the start. When asked what role he expected to fill in the Bengals' roster, he explained that it would be similar to the role he played during his time with Texas A&M.

"Kind of a hybrid edge rusher. Being a base down defensive end and dropping into coverage, sometimes on different coverages and different blitzes," Howell said in the post-draft interview. 

And that was exactly the sort of thing defensive coordinator Al Golden wanted in a defensive end.

"His body type is very similar to Boye. It gives us such a variety of early downs in terms of the multiplicity of fronts we get into. But also on third down and having a number of pass rushers," Golden said to Bengals team reporters.

Cashius Howell had 11.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss in 2025 at Texas A&M and was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-American. Pro Football Focus had him at 26, Scouts Inc. at 30, and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler at 39, all of which were spots higher than where Cincinnati took him. 

"I think the quick wins he can give us as a rusher is really dynamic. His arsenal of rush tools and moves that he has, I thought was second-to-none in this draft class," Assistant GM Mike Potts said to Bengals team reporters.

At 253 pounds, he added a lighter pass rusher to join Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart at 270 pounds each to round out a front that finished 31st in the NFL in 2025.

After being drafted, Howell expressed his gratitude for being drafted by the Bengals. He also showed reporters a glimpse of his ambition, saying, "Man, let's go get a Super Bowl!"

That defensive front just got better and the Bengals' own front office will tell you they knew it before anyone else did. 

Bengals Find a Steal in Cashius Howell at Pick 41

At 6-foot-2, Cashius Howell is undersized for a normal prospect, but his bend, motor and college production made him a must-draft for the scouting staff. The Bengals weren’t buying it. 

"We were already discussing him in the first round if we were able to move back, and maybe even if we got picked over at No. 10," said Tyler Ramsey, who came to Duke Tobin's staff as a scout last June.  "That's the kind of player we see him."

"I would have to say the biggest values were getting Cashius in the second round and a 6-3, almost 6-4 corner (Tacario Davis) in the third," added Josh Hinch, who joined the scouting team along with Ramsey. 

Trading for Dexter Lawrence was a smart move for Cincinnati. If the team had kept that pick, they could have still drafted Howell, but they wouldn't have gotten Lawrence, one of the best nose tackles in football. By introducing him into the roster along with Howell, the Bengals can bolster their defense and provide support to QB Joe Burrow.

The Bengals had a good draft and built a front-end defense that can compete for years to come. Let's see how far they can develop these rookies into efficient playmakers this season.

Read more at the Cincinnati Bengals Community!

Written by

Abhay Bharti

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit