Cashius Howell was one of the most underrated NFL draft prospects heading into the season and has proven why he should be a first-round pick in the 2026 class during the early stages of the campaign.

Howell is a 6’4″, 245-pound edge defender who originally went to Bowling Green as a 3-star recruit, per 247Sports. He didn’t see the field much during his first two years before bursting onto the scene as a redshirt sophomore with a MAC-leading 9.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss to earn third-team all-conference honors in 2023.

The following year, Howell transferred to Texas A&M and played behind 2025 draft picks Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton but still managed to record 40 tackles, four sacks, nine TFLs, an interception and seven passes defended.

Matt Holder has been a part of B/R’s Scouting Department for four seasons. He also writes about the Las Vegas Raiders and NFL draft for SB Nation’s Silver and Black Pride, and co-hosts a YouTube Channel, Tape Don’t Lie, providing film breakdowns and more draft prospect analysis.