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(Photo by Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)

The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t have a first-round pick after the trade for Dexter Lawrence II. Nonetheless, despite bolstering their defensive line through trade and free agency, the Bengals continued adding to that group.

With the No. 41 pick in the second round, the Bengals took former Texas A&M star Cashius Howell to add more depth to their pass rush and likely not give the opposition’s offensive line a breather.

Howell put together a strong 2025 season for the Aggies, earning an 81.2 overall defensive grade from PFF, which ranked 72nd out of 852 qualifying edge defenders. His pass-rush grade stood out at 90.3, good for 26th at the position, while his run-defense grade was 73.6, placing 247th.

As a pass rusher, he produced 41 total pressures, including 12 sacks, 27 hurries, and two quarterback hits. He added 15 solo tackles against the run and forced one fumble during the season.

After the Bengals drafted Howell, the 23-year-old shared his thoughts on the Kansas City Chiefs, his childhood favorite, and the team from the city where he attended high school, which passed on him in favor of R. Mason Thomas at No. 40.

“Any team that decided to pass on me, I’ll put it on film,” Howell told reporters on April 24 (h/t Mike Petraglia of ESPN 1530). “Film don’t lie… Very happy to be a Bengal and wouldn’t want to be a Chief.”

It will be interesting to see if these remarks come up later this year as the Bengals will face the Chiefs as one of the home opponents for the 2026 NFL season and there’s no doubt Howell will want to make Kansas City regret their decision.

Bengals DC on Selecting Cashius Howell at No. 41

Moreover, Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden explained the reason behind the decision to select Howell, who is bringing certain traits that made him an easy decision for the team.

“He was far and away the highest guy that we had and couldn’t believe he kept falling to us, to be honest with you,” Golden said (h/t Jaron May of WLWT). “We couldn’t have been more thrilled when he was there for us. [Howell] is a dynamic pass rusher with great production, not average production, great production.

“He is a motor guy who can play a 4-2 edge [and] he can play outside linebacker if you go to five-down or bigger personnel; he has shown proficiency with the ability to drop into coverage and can help us on special teams. He is a multifaceted athlete and a really, really twitchy player.”

How Does Cashius Howell Fit In Cincinnati Defense?

Meanwhile, Seth Walder of ESPN shared his analysis of the draft pick and his thoughts on where Howell fits in this new-look Bengals defense.

“When Trey Hendrickson walked out the door in free agency, he took a lot of sacks with him,” Walder wrote. “Howell should be able to bring some of those back, as his strong get-off helped him land 11.5 sacks in 2025.

“Maybe he won’t do much against the run, but neither did Hendrickson. Howell can be a nice complement to Boye Mafe, who was signed to a three-year deal this offseason from the Seahawks.”