The Cincinnati Bengals have been met with mostly disappointment with their top draft picks in recent years, but Cashius Howell appears to be an exception to that general rule..
For every Amarius Mims, there have been picks who took too long to find a position (Dax Hill), couldn't make a quick enough impact (Myles Murphy, Shemar Stewart) or flat out didn't pan out at all (Shemar?).
Just kidding about Mr. Stewart. Jury is still out. I'll wait. It took till midway through Year 3 for Murphy to show anything promising. That ain't the case with Howell, though.
What's even better is the fact that Howell was a second-rounder. The Bengals recognized they needed immediate impact with the 10th overall pick in this year's draft. They got it by trading for Dexter Lawrence. And as electric as the Sexy Dexy addition was, Zac Taylor has me fired up over his latest Howell comments.
Taylor gushes over rare top Bengals draft pick keen to make a Year 1 impact
What you have to appreciate about Zac Taylor among his standout qualities is the fact that he will only lie about believing in the players in his own locker room when he says those words verbatim. When he goes out of his way to get very specific, you know it's genuine.
Taylor is a positive reinforcing leader by nature. He's not gonna throw someone under the bus. Hence his go-to, "We believe in the guys we have!" line. That isn't what this is with Cashius Howell, via NBC 5's Charlie Clifford:
"He's done everything he can to be used at the maximum volume...He hasn't missed a day since he's been here. Been a part of every meeting. Every practice. He's gotten exponentially better with every practice. Every rep. He's met (with coaches) extra. Feel really good about where he is right now.
That sounds way too hyperbolic and frankly too good to be true. I'm used defensive ends like Murphy and Stewart developing at a glacial pace, if at all. My top draft picks at this high-value position aren't supposed to be balling out like this!
But that's where Howell is different. Despite his Rueben Bain Jr.-esque arm length, Howell was the 2025 SEC Defensive Player of the Year at Texas A&M with 14.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks.
It doesn't seem like Howell's lack of length is effecting him at the NFL level thus far. Plus, he has the intangibles and work ethic that Stewart notably didn't show as a rookie during his ugly contract holdout situation and subsequent poor performance amid an injury-riddled maiden pro campaign.
To me, Howell is everything Stewart wasn't. And I'm not trying to bury Shemar. He just had some maturing to do. Dude is talented as can be. I hope he puts it all together.
But in terms of who I'm counting on for Week 1, despite The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. reporting Stewart was a full practice participant on Wednesday, I'm going with Cashius Howell. Taylor's testimony is far too glowing to ignore.
Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden has more versatility to work with in Howell, too. The latter can play off-ball linebacker and on the edge, making him a perfect rotational candidate for Golden's hybrid Viper role that Boye Mafe will start at.
I can't wait for subpackages where Howell is either tearing in off the edge or blitzing as a 'backer. Should be a heck of a lot of fun for Golden to dial up exotic schemes and simulated pressures in 2026.
...That is, assuming Howell lives up to the immense legend Taylor is already building for him.
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