Cashius Howell NFL Draft 2026 Scouting Report for Cincinnati Bengals Edge

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Texas A&M Cashius Howell with the No. 41 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

Cashius Howell was one of the most underrated NFL draft prospects heading into the season and proved why he should be in the first-round pick discussion for the 2026 class during the campaign.

Howell is a 6'2", 253-pound edge defender who originally went to Bowling Green as a 3-star recruit, per 247Sports. He didn't see the field much during his first two years before bursting onto the scene as a redshirt sophomore with a MAC-leading 9.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss to earn third-team all-conference honors in 2023.

The following year, Howell transferred to Texas A&M and played behind 2025 draft picks Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton but still managed to record 40 tackles, four sacks, nine TFLs, an interception and seven passes defended.

As a full-time starter, the 2025 SEC Defensive Player of the Year collected 31 tackles, 14 TFLs, 11.5 sacks and six passes defended to become a Unanimous All-American this past season.

Matt Holder has been a part of B/R's Scouting Department for four seasons. He also writes about the Las Vegas Raiders and NFL draft for SB Nation's Silver and Black Pride, and co-hosts a YouTube Channel, Tape Don't Lie, providing film breakdowns and more draft prospect analysis.

Highlights

Cashius Howell highlights

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Scroll down for the complete scouting report.

Where He Wins

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- Impressive athlete overall, who wins with quickness and has smooth movement skills.

- Can win as a pass-rusher in a handful of ways, including turning speed to power, cross-chop and inside spin moves.

- Good bend to corner at the top of the rush.

- Gets his hands up to bat passes at the line of scrimmage when Howell doesn't win as a pass-rusher.

- Physical and displays decent strength at the point of attack against the run, can set the edge against tight ends.

- Good speed to make tackles near the line of scrimmage when unblocked on the backside of zone runs.

- Athletic enough to drop in coverage occasionally as a 34 outside linebacker. Also, looks comfortable dropping in coverage and can make tackles in space.

Areas of Improvement

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- Lean frame, could afford to add some size and strength to help anchor as a run defender against bigger offensive linemen.

- Turns his shoulders perpendicular to the line of scrimmage when setting the edge.

- Likes to gamble and duck inside blocks against the run, making him susceptible to getting reached.

- Despite being athletic and quick, Howell doesn't threaten offensive tackles with speed of the line of scrimmage as a pass-rusher.

- Very short arms for an NFL edge defender.

Grade, Rank, and Pro Comparison

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GRADE: 7.8 (Key Contributor — 2nd)

COMPARABLE GRADE: James Pearce Jr., Tennessee (7.9 in 2025), BJ Ojulari, LSU (7.9 in 2023), Jermaine Johnson II, Florida State (7.9 in 2022)

OVERALL RANK: 29

POSITION RANK: EDGE5

PRO COMPARISON: Harold Landry III

Measurables and Testing Data

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Height: 6'2"

Weight: 253

Hand: 9¼"

Arm: 30¼"

Wingspan: 74¼"

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40-Yard Dash: 4.59

10-Yard Split: 1.58

3-Cone: N/A

Shuttle: N/A

Vertical: 32.5"

Broad: 9'7"

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