Cincinnati Bengals select Cashius Howell in the second round, 41st overall

Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell, a mid-major transfer who became the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year, was taken in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft by Cincinnati on Friday.

The Bengals selected Howell with the 41st overall pick in the draft.

Howell’s selection marks the second consecutive year a Texas A&M defensive lineman was taken in the second round. Last year, Nic Scourton and Shemart Turner were second-round picks by Carolina and Chicago, respectively.

Classified as an edge rusher, Howell was seen as a possible first-round pick. However, NFL teams expressed concerns over his arm length. His arms were measured at 30 1/4 inches. NFL teams prefer edge rushers to have a reach of at least 34 inches.

That was enough of a concern for him to drop despite his on-field production.

A native of Kansas City, Howell measured 6-foot-2.5 and 253 pounds at the NFL Combine in February. He also ran a 4.59 40-yard dash, had a vertical jump of 32.5 inches and a 10-yard split of 1.58 seconds, which was the best among defensive ends.

He arrived at A&M in 2024 as a transfer portal addition from Bowling Green. He’d led the Mid-American Conference with 9.5 sacks in 2023.

Playing in a backup role for A&M in ‘24, Howell had 40 tackles, four sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss and an interception vs. USC in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Last fall, he emerged as one of the top defensive players in the nation. He earned All-American acclaim and was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year for posting 30 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, breaking up six passes and notching five quarterback pressures.

Howell posted sacks on three consecutive plays vs. Utah State, had 2.5 sacks vs. Mississippi State and had two vs. LSU. He also posted sacks vs. Auburn, Florida, Missouri and South Carolina.