There’s already a clear sense in Cincinnati that Cashius Howell can be more than a long-term project.
The Bengals used the 41st overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on the Texas A&M edge rusher, and the appeal was obvious from the start: production. Howell finished his final college season with 11.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss, won SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and earned first-team All-America honors. Over his college career, he piled up 27 sacks and 35.5 tackles for loss.
But the buzz around Howell isn’t just about the numbers. Defensive coordinator Al Golden keeps pointing to what those numbers represent.
“Dynamic pass rusher, great production - not average production, great production,” Golden said after the Bengals selected Howell.
That’s the part that matters for Cincinnati. The team didn’t view Howell as merely a stat sheet player. It believed the skill set behind the production could fit into the defense right away.
Golden has been especially vocal about Howell’s versatility. He can rush off the edge, line up as an outside linebacker, fit into different fronts, and even drop into coverage. He can also help on special teams, which gives the Bengals more ways to use him.
“He can play 4-2 edge, can play outside backer if you go to bigger people,” Golden said. “Showed proficiency with the ability to drop.
Can help us on special teams. So, this is a multifaceted athlete and a really twitched-up guy.”
That kind of language tells you how Cincinnati views him. Howell wasn’t just sitting there at No. 41 as a nice value pick. The Bengals reportedly had him as the highest player remaining on their board, and assistant general manager Mike Potts described his quick pass-rush ability as “really dynamic.”
Golden’s praise has only continued since then. After a recent practice, he stressed how quickly Howell is processing everything.
”Hitting on Cashius, I can’t underscore how important that is because he’s come through for us in terms of his intellect, his work ethic, his ability to process, and his learning curve,” Golden told Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic.
That’s a strong signal that the rookie is already earning trust.
Part of what makes Howell interesting is the way he looks on paper. At roughly 6-foot-2 and 253 pounds, with arms measuring just over 30 inches at the combine, he doesn’t fit the usual mold of the long, towering NFL defensive end.
Cincinnati didn’t seem bothered by that. The Bengals saw the burst, the bend, and the ability to win quickly.
And that matters in a defense that wants more ways to attack the quarterback.
Howell’s game is built on getting off the ball and going after the passer. Golden can move him around and use him in different spots, which becomes even more intriguing when you look at the rest of Cincinnati’s defensive line. The Bengals now have Howell alongside Shemar Stewart, Myles Murphy, Boye Mafe, and Dexter Lawrence II.
Golden even compared Howell’s body type to Mafe’s, while noting the variety the two can bring on early downs and in passing situations.
For a rookie, Howell is bringing a real résumé, not just upside. His 11.5 sacks in 2025 came against SEC competition, and he backed it up with conference honors and All-America recognition.
That’s why the Bengals didn’t treat him like a developmental stash. They treated him like another weapon.
Howell has also described his own role in a similar way, saying he sees himself as a hybrid edge rusher - playing defensive end on base downs, dropping into coverage at times, and working into different blitz packages.
That lines up neatly with what Golden has been describing all along.
And that’s why the excitement around Howell in Cincinnati feels different. It’s not just draft-night optimism.
It’s coming from the coach who is shaping the defense and explaining exactly how the rookie can be used. Golden clearly believes Howell can matter sooner rather than later.
In Other News...
Cashius Howell Is Suddenly At Center Of Bengals Defensive Hype
Cashius Howell has quickly become one of the most talked-about names around the Bengals defense, and it is easy to see why. Cincinnati used the draft to reshape its front, dealing away its first-round pick to the Giants for Dexter Lawrence before spending its second-round selection on the Texas A&M edge rusher, who arrived with plenty of momentum after being named the 2025 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American.
The early buzz has only gotten louder since then, with CBS Sports analyst John Breech going so far as to project Howell as the 2026 Defensive Rookie of the Year and the Bengals as a playoff team. For a defense looking for impact players who can change the conversation, Howell is already being treated like much more than a mid-round addition, even if the real answer about how fast he can tilt games in Cincinnati still has to play out. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Have An Unexpected New Injury Concern Before Week 1
Week 1 practice brought one of those early-season reminders that the Bengals depth will be tested before the games even count. DJ Turner II showed up on the injury report with a hamstring issue and was limited, while JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins were both back to full participation as they continue working through their own recoveries. For a team trying to build rhythm right away, getting its top receivers on the field matters, but the attention shifted quickly to the new concern in the secondary.
Zac Taylor also spent time updating the status of several players while talking through the bigger picture of continuity and situational football as the season opener approaches. Those are the kinds of details that tend to matter more once the first kickoff arrives, especially for a Bengals team hoping to avoid any early disruption in a unit that needs all its pieces ready. For now, the key question is how much Turners hamstring affects the week ahead and whether it lingers past the initial practice report. [Read more 🡒]
Ja'Marr Chase Sent Bengals Fans An Encouraging Message Before Sunday
Ja'Marr Chases return to full participation in practice comes with a little extra reassurance for Bengals fans who watched him deal with a minor knee hyperextension last month. Entering the 2026 season, the star receiver said he feels fully healthy again, and he struck a confident tone about both his body and the energy around the team as preparations move toward opening weekend.
The timing of the schedule is one thing Chase clearly did not hide his opinion on, since he said he would rather not be dealing with 1 p.m. starts. But the bigger takeaway for Cincinnati is simpler: its top pass-catching threat sounds ready to go, and after a brief scare in the summer, that is the sort of update that matters most this time of year. [Read more 🡒]