49ers stay at No. 27, take an edge rusher in 2026 draft
TL;DR
The San Francisco 49ers selected edge rusher Cashius Howell from Texas A&M with the No. 27 pick in the 2026 draft. Howell, who had 25 sacks in three seasons, will bolster the team's pass rush as they recover from injuries to key players.
Key points
- 49ers selected Cashius Howell with the No. 27 pick
- Howell had 25 sacks in three seasons at Texas A&M
- Team needs edge rusher help due to injuries
The San Francisco 49ers have been connected to many different positions with the No. 27 pick. But, as is the case with most things, the simplest option is most often the right one.
The 49ers need edge rusher help, and they've shown a willingness to address it in the first round as recently as the 2025 draft when the team took Mykell Williams. And now that he's recovering from an ACL injury (along with Nick Bosa), San Francisco should add at least one more piece to that group while the team's top two options recover..
That's why The Athletic's Matt Barrows picked Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell at No. 27. The Aggies star had 25 sacks and 33 tackles for a loss over the past three seasons. He isn't the cleanest prospect, but he would be a quality Day 1 contributor who can develop on the 49ers alongside Williams and Bosa.
The 49ers did a lot of pre-draft work on 250-pound edge rushers who can drop into coverage, a type of player they don’t have on the current roster. That fits Howell to a tee — he had 11 sacks in the SEC last year and seemed comfortable when asked to help out with coverage. Howell could serve as an edge rusher in the team’s “turbo” pass-rush package as well as a fifth defensive lineman, an alignment the team plans to use more heavily under new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
There were other players many have connected to the 49ers left on the board (like Utah tackle Caleb Lomu, UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence and receiver Denzel Boston) but, as Barrows explained, Howell fits a specific role in the defense that the 49ers need if they want to compete in the NFC West again.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers stay at No. 27, take an edge rusher in 2026 draft
Q&A
Who did the 49ers draft with the 27th pick in 2026?
The 49ers drafted edge rusher Cashius Howell from Texas A&M with the 27th pick.
What are Cashius Howell's college stats?
Cashius Howell recorded 25 sacks and 33 tackles for loss over the past three seasons at Texas A&M.
Why do the 49ers need an edge rusher?
The 49ers need an edge rusher to support their defense while key players like Mykell Williams and Nick Bosa recover from injuries.
