My

SEC Defensive Player of the Year

Cashius Howell

Texas A&M

EDGE

Prospect Info

College

Texas A&M

Height

6'2 1/2"

Weight

253 lbs

Arm

30 1/4"

Hand

9 1/4"

40-Yard Dash

4.59

Seconds

10-Yard Split

1.58

Seconds

Vertical Jump

32.5’’

Broad Jump

9’ 7’’

Player Bio

• 2021 (Bowling Green): Redshirted. Played in 4 games as a reserve (6 tackles).

• 2022 (Bowling Green): Played in all 13 games as a reserve (22 tackles, 2.5 TFLs with 2 sacks, PBU).

• 2023 (Bowling Green): Third-team All-MAC. Led team with 9.5 sacks. Played in all 13 games with 11 starts (28 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, PBU, FF). 

• 2024: Played in all 13 games with 1 start (40 tackles, 8.5 TFLs with 4 sacks, INT, 7 PBUs, FF).

• 2025: First-team Associated Press All-American. SEC Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-SEC. Finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Award (nation's top defender), Chuck Bednarik Award (nation's top defender) and the Lombardi Award (nation's top lineman). Led team with 14 TFL. Tied for seventh in the FBS with 11.5 sacks. Started all 13 games (31 tackles, 6 PBUs, FF).

Rounds 1-2

NFL Comparison

Will McDonald IV

Overview

Bendy edge rusher with standout sack totals. Burst and elusiveness are on Howell’s rush menu and he pairs it with a refreshing inside spin counter. Though threatening, his rush could use more cohesive sequencing and better hand work to fully unlock its potential. As a run defender he’s frequently knocked around at the point and struggles to consistently execute tasks asked of an NFL edge-setter. Howell might not be a three-down player right away, but his ability to create pressure sets him up for a role as a designated rusher, at minimum.

Strengths

• Three straight seasons of impressive pressure and sack totals.

• Can bend, corner and flatten into pockets.

• Creates smart rush distance, avoiding punch by long tackles.

• Already working with a series of go-to moves in his bag.

• A wicked inside spin counter can defeat tackles.

• Long hop helps gain positioning advantage on vertical rush.

• Major problem for quarterbacks with undisciplined drop depth.

• Trigger quickness to knife into B-gap and blow up play design.

• Above-average change direction and pursuit burst from the back side.

EDGE9 Cashius Howell Texas A&M

GRADE OVR. RANK YEAR BIRTHDAY AGE HT WT JERSEY

2nd round 39 5SR Apr 16, 2003 23.02 6'2" 253 lbs. No. 9

BACKGROUND

Cashius (CASH-us) Howell, one of four children (two boys, two girls) in his family, grew up in the Kansas City area with his mother

(Cammie Carl) and father (Maximillian Howell). For the first 14 years of his life, Cashius lived primarily with his mother. He started

playing flag football at age 3, followed by baseball and basketball at age 5. His best sport growing up was baseball but he was active in all

three sports throughout childhood, including playing AAU basketball and Pop Warner football. Prior to high school, Howell moved in

with his father and changed school districts.

Howell enrolled at Rockhurst High School, a private all-boys school in Kansas City, Mo. (alma mater of actor Jason Sudeikis and

baseball pitcher David Cone). At only 5 feet 7 inches tall and 150 pounds as a freshman, he played running back on the freshman B-team

in his first year. Howell hit a growth spurt going into his sophomore year, however, and was moved up to the JV squad, where he played

wide receiver and started to see time at defensive end. He was 6-2 and 200 pounds as a junior and moved up to varsity, where he earned

all-district honors by posting 30 tackles and 13 sacks, including a single-game school record of five sacks. Howell was also one of the

team’s main weapons on offense (17 catches for 280 yards and two touchdowns) and helped Rockhurst reach the 2019 Class 6 state

playoffs. As a senior, he played some running back and also had another productive season rushing the passer, in a season abbreviated

by the pandemic. Howell also lettered in basketball as a starting shooting guard and small forward.

A three-star recruit, Howell was the 170th-ranked athlete in the 2021 class and the No. 30 recruit in Missouri. After a breakout junior

year (his first season on varsity), he put himself on the recruiting radar and picked up his first offer (FCS Missouri State) in March

2020. Other FCS offers soon followed, from North Dakota State, South Dakota, South Dakota State and Southern Illinois. Howell picked

Back to table of contents 344

up his first FBS offers (Akron and Ball State) and then added offers from the service academies (Air Force, Army) and several Ivy

League programs (Cornell, Dartmouth). Howell received interest from nearby programs, such as Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri,

but restrictions in place because of the pandemic hurt his exposure. Without taking any official visits, Howell committed to the program

that had shown the most interest: Bowling Green. He was the 12th-ranked recruit in former head coach Scot Loeffler’s 2021 class.

After a breakout sophomore season in 2023, Howell jumped into the transfer portal in December (he still played in the Falcons’ bowl

game despite being in the portal). He received dozens of offers in the portal and took official visits to Florida and then Texas A&M. He

committed almost immediately to head coach Mike Elko and the Aggies. He faced his old teammates and coaches when Bowling Green

traveled to College Station, Texas, in September 2024.

Howell graduated with a degree in university studies from Texas A&M (December 2025). He accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl.

STATISTICS AND MEASUREMENTS

YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF PD INT NOTES

2021: (4/0) 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 Bowling Green; Redshirted; enrolled July 2021

2022: (13/0) 22 2.5 2.0 0 1 0 Bowling Green

2023: (13/11) 28 10.5 9.5 1 1 0 Bowling Green; Third Team All-MAC; led MAC in sacks; entered transfer portal (Dec. 2023)

2024: (13/1) 40 8.5 4.0 1 8 1 Texas A&M; Enrolled January 2024

2025: (13/13) 31 14.5 11.0 1 6 0 Texas A&M; Unanimous All-American; SEC Defensive POY; First Team All-SEC; led SEC in sacks; led

team in TFL

Total: (56/25) 127 36.0 26.5 3 16 1

HT WT HAND ARM WING BP 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C NOTES

COMBINE 6024 253 9 1/4 30 1/4 74 1/4 DNP 4.59 2.66 1.58 32 1/2 09'07" DNP DNP Limited workout (choice)

PRO DAY 6022 262 9 31 73 1/2 22 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP -

STRENGTHS

● Thick, compact frame, with tapered waist and athletic lower half

● Quick initial burst and acceleration to stress tackles vertically

● Bendy at the top of his rush, with ankle flexion on plant foot for tight corners

● Skilled transitioning from his cross-chop move into a dip to win the corner

● Gets blockers off balance by staying square and using shifty feet and shoulder fakes while stemming his rush

● Dropped at times to help create blitz pressures elsewhere

● Comfortable dropping on third downs, covering tight ends or spot dropping

● Despite lack of length, shows a knack for finding passing lanes (combined 14 pass breakups over past two seasons)

● Miami’s Francis Mauigoa called Howell the toughest opponent he faced in 2025

● Competes with a chip; NFL scouts describe him as a “self-starter” who is “all about ball” in his training and prep

WEAKNESSES

● Short-armed athlete who can be out-reached

● Inconsistent edge setter — can be engulfed and dumped by size

● Needs to improve his gap integrity and not surrender the edge when trying to escape blocks

● Secondary moves, especially high side, are underdeveloped

● Flagged for defensive holding after dropping into flat against Missouri in 2025

● Just 3.5 tackles for loss (excluding sacks) in 2025

● Least-impactful outings came in final two games of 2025, when it meant the most (vs. Texas, vs. Miami)

SUMMARY

A one-year starter at Texas A&M, Howell was a boundary edge rusher (mostly stand-up) in head coach Mike Elko’s versatile front. After

producing in the MAC, he transferred up to the SEC to prove himself and subsequently became the ninth unanimous All-American in

Texas A&M history, with an SEC-best 11 sacks in 2025. He also became Texas A&M’s first SEC Defensive Player of the Year since the

team joined the conference in 2012 (and the first Aggie to win top defensive player in any conference since Dat Nguyen in 1998).

The NFL covets dynamic space athletes, and Howell brings plenty of juice off the edge. With his get-off burst, he eats up the tackle’s

cushion and uses his agility, hip flexibility and aggressive hands to get blockers off balance using his rush sequencing. Though more

Back to table of contents 345

physical than his size suggests, he can find himself swallowed up and sealed when attempting to contain, and his run game instincts

must catch up with his physical gifts. Overall, Howell needs to expand the consistency of his impact beyond winning as a

high-side rusher, but his athletic twitch, play speed and violent demeanor make for the type of package you bet on at

the position. At worst, he should be a designated pass rusher, with the ceiling of a versatile NFL starter (like Haason

Reddick) who can be moved around the front.

Are we about to be a 3-4 team?

2 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

Are we about to be a 3-4 team?

More multiple if nothing else.

3-3-5 maybe

Wants to emulate Ray Lewis' intensity ... "projected to be a Top 20 pick"

4 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

Are we about to be a 3-4 team?

5-2 bear defense as base.

It's why I thought they'd go with Golday but this works just as well. Golday is more LB than DE, Howell is more DE (at least in my mind)...

Do he and Stewart equal a complete DE/EDGE?

16 minutes ago, I_C_Deadpeople said:

EDGE9 Cashius Howell Texas A&M

GRADE OVR. RANK YEAR BIRTHDAY AGE HT WT JERSEY

2nd round 39 5SR Apr 16, 2003 23.02 6'2" 253 lbs. No. 9

BACKGROUND

Cashius (CASH-us) Howell, one of four children (two boys, two girls) in his family, grew up in the Kansas City area with his mother

(Cammie Carl) and father (Maximillian Howell). For the first 14 years of his life, Cashius lived primarily with his mother. He started

playing flag football at age 3, followed by baseball and basketball at age 5. His best sport growing up was baseball but he was active in all

three sports throughout childhood, including playing AAU basketball and Pop Warner football. Prior to high school, Howell moved in

with his father and changed school districts.

Howell enrolled at Rockhurst High School, a private all-boys school in Kansas City, Mo. (alma mater of actor Jason Sudeikis and

baseball pitcher David Cone). At only 5 feet 7 inches tall and 150 pounds as a freshman, he played running back on the freshman B-team

in his first year. Howell hit a growth spurt going into his sophomore year, however, and was moved up to the JV squad, where he played

wide receiver and started to see time at defensive end. He was 6-2 and 200 pounds as a junior and moved up to varsity, where he earned

all-district honors by posting 30 tackles and 13 sacks, including a single-game school record of five sacks. Howell was also one of the

team’s main weapons on offense (17 catches for 280 yards and two touchdowns) and helped Rockhurst reach the 2019 Class 6 state

playoffs. As a senior, he played some running back and also had another productive season rushing the passer, in a season abbreviated

by the pandemic. Howell also lettered in basketball as a starting shooting guard and small forward.

A three-star recruit, Howell was the 170th-ranked athlete in the 2021 class and the No. 30 recruit in Missouri. After a breakout junior

year (his first season on varsity), he put himself on the recruiting radar and picked up his first offer (FCS Missouri State) in March

2020. Other FCS offers soon followed, from North Dakota State, South Dakota, South Dakota State and Southern Illinois. Howell picked

Back to table of contents 344

up his first FBS offers (Akron and Ball State) and then added offers from the service academies (Air Force, Army) and several Ivy

League programs (Cornell, Dartmouth). Howell received interest from nearby programs, such as Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri,

but restrictions in place because of the pandemic hurt his exposure. Without taking any official visits, Howell committed to the program

that had shown the most interest: Bowling Green. He was the 12th-ranked recruit in former head coach Scot Loeffler’s 2021 class.

After a breakout sophomore season in 2023, Howell jumped into the transfer portal in December (he still played in the Falcons’ bowl

game despite being in the portal). He received dozens of offers in the portal and took official visits to Florida and then Texas A&M. He

committed almost immediately to head coach Mike Elko and the Aggies. He faced his old teammates and coaches when Bowling Green

traveled to College Station, Texas, in September 2024.

Howell graduated with a degree in university studies from Texas A&M (December 2025). He accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl.

STATISTICS AND MEASUREMENTS

YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF PD INT NOTES

2021: (4/0) 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 Bowling Green; Redshirted; enrolled July 2021

2022: (13/0) 22 2.5 2.0 0 1 0 Bowling Green

2023: (13/11) 28 10.5 9.5 1 1 0 Bowling Green; Third Team All-MAC; led MAC in sacks; entered transfer portal (Dec. 2023)

2024: (13/1) 40 8.5 4.0 1 8 1 Texas A&M; Enrolled January 2024

2025: (13/13) 31 14.5 11.0 1 6 0 Texas A&M; Unanimous All-American; SEC Defensive POY; First Team All-SEC; led SEC in sacks; led

team in TFL

Total: (56/25) 127 36.0 26.5 3 16 1

HT WT HAND ARM WING BP 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C NOTES

COMBINE 6024 253 9 1/4 30 1/4 74 1/4 DNP 4.59 2.66 1.58 32 1/2 09'07" DNP DNP Limited workout (choice)

PRO DAY 6022 262 9 31 73 1/2 22 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP -

STRENGTHS

● Thick, compact frame, with tapered waist and athletic lower half

● Quick initial burst and acceleration to stress tackles vertically

● Bendy at the top of his rush, with ankle flexion on plant foot for tight corners

● Skilled transitioning from his cross-chop move into a dip to win the corner

● Gets blockers off balance by staying square and using shifty feet and shoulder fakes while stemming his rush

● Dropped at times to help create blitz pressures elsewhere

● Comfortable dropping on third downs, covering tight ends or spot dropping

● Despite lack of length, shows a knack for finding passing lanes (combined 14 pass breakups over past two seasons)

● Miami’s Francis Mauigoa called Howell the toughest opponent he faced in 2025

● Competes with a chip; NFL scouts describe him as a “self-starter” who is “all about ball” in his training and prep

WEAKNESSES

● Short-armed athlete who can be out-reached

● Inconsistent edge setter — can be engulfed and dumped by size

● Needs to improve his gap integrity and not surrender the edge when trying to escape blocks

● Secondary moves, especially high side, are underdeveloped

● Flagged for defensive holding after dropping into flat against Missouri in 2025

● Just 3.5 tackles for loss (excluding sacks) in 2025

● Least-impactful outings came in final two games of 2025, when it meant the most (vs. Texas, vs. Miami)

SUMMARY

A one-year starter at Texas A&M, Howell was a boundary edge rusher (mostly stand-up) in head coach Mike Elko’s versatile front. After

producing in the MAC, he transferred up to the SEC to prove himself and subsequently became the ninth unanimous All-American in

Texas A&M history, with an SEC-best 11 sacks in 2025. He also became Texas A&M’s first SEC Defensive Player of the Year since the

team joined the conference in 2012 (and the first Aggie to win top defensive player in any conference since Dat Nguyen in 1998).

The NFL covets dynamic space athletes, and Howell brings plenty of juice off the edge. With his get-off burst, he eats up the tackle’s

cushion and uses his agility, hip flexibility and aggressive hands to get blockers off balance using his rush sequencing. Though more

Back to table of contents 345

physical than his size suggests, he can find himself swallowed up and sealed when attempting to contain, and his run game instincts

must catch up with his physical gifts. Overall, Howell needs to expand the consistency of his impact beyond winning as a

high-side rusher, but his athletic twitch, play speed and violent demeanor make for the type of package you bet on at

the position. At worst, he should be a designated pass rusher, with the ceiling of a versatile NFL starter (like Haason

Reddick) who can be moved around the front.

Question....

What's the difference in Cashius Howell

and David Bailey??????

Why do bengs axways pick aggies

3 minutes ago, buyaharleykellen said:

Do he and Stewart equal a complete DE/EDGE?

Mafa and Stewart rotate at LE..

( edgedefenders)

Murphy and Howell bring the heat at RE .

More Highlights ...

CBSSports prospect scouting report:

Cashius Howell is a relentless edge rusher who compensates for his relatively short arms with an “11 out of 10” motor. He’s a high-energy defender who uses a powerful bull rush to force offensive tackles into the quarterback’s lap. He’s also surprisingly versatile, showing the athletic ability to drop into coverage and match running backs or tight ends in space when needed.

He may be the Edge/LB to make this D much better. Still need a good slot CB

Changed the thread title from "DE" to "Edge" since that is how the Bengals announced him.

I like the pick much more if he plays OLB.

Hell yeah, plenty of reasons to like this pick but let me add no free lunch for Murphy or Stewart.

Just now, BlackJesus said:

Changed the thread title from "DE" to "Edge" since that is how the Bengals announced him.

I like the pick much more if he plays OLB.

From the scouting report I just posted, it would seem he can. I'm a much bigger fan of this pick now.

He had 3 sacks on 3 plays in a row ... seen here 😯

1 minute ago, Jason said:

CBSSports prospect scouting report:

Cashius Howell is a relentless edge rusher who compensates for his relatively short arms with an “11 out of 10” motor. He’s a high-energy defender who uses a powerful bull rush to force offensive tackles into the quarterback’s lap. He’s also surprisingly versatile, showing the athletic ability to drop into coverage and match running backs or tight ends in space when needed.

He may be the Edge/LB to make this D much better. Still need a good slot CB

Still need a vet LB that can hold it down & run that room but a couple of those might have been made available yesterday

Just now, BlackJesus said:

He had 3 sacks on 3 plays in a row ... seen here 😯

Haven't had the best luck with Aggies but maybe this is the rare one that knows how to use a fork 🥷

Looks like they taught him how to play football, at least

Wanted Hood but I ain’t mad at it.

He can certainly get after the QB.

He's the anti-Stewart ... short arms and lots of sacks / production.