Bengals new 2nd-round edge rusher has one of Maxx Crosby's best traits

Bengals new 2nd-round edge rusher has one of Maxx Crosby's best traits originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Cincinnati Bengals dealt their No. 10 overall pick to the New York Giants for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, missing out on a ton of the top defensive players in the class.

But, at No. 41 overall, the Bengals took Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell, who had some first-round buzz at times this offseason.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler notes that Howell, the new Bengals edge rusher, has a trait that one of the best edge rushers in the NFL, Maxx Crosby, also possesses: "motor."

Bengals are getting 1 part of Maxx Crosby with Cashius Howell pick

"But their second-round pick, edge rusher Cashius Howell, possesses one of Maxx Crosby's best attributes: his motor," Fowler writes.

While it's way too soon to say that Howell will be the next Crosby in the NFL, there is one trait that the new Bengals edge rusher has that Crosby also possesses: a high motor.

Some players around the NFL might take a play or two off during a game, but Crosby doesn't do that. He's always playing at 100% for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Howell, the new Bengals edge rusher, also has that trait. Fowler shared a quote from an AFC scout that helps illuminate what exactly Howell can be for Cincinnati's defense.

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"He doesn't have the elite bend that some of the other rushers have," an anonymous AFC scout said, "but he is absolutely relentless and will play a long time in the NFL as a result."

If this AFC scout is right in that Howell will play in the NFL for a long time, then the Bengals' second-round pick of a Texas A&M edge rusher might turn out to be a great one.

Cincinnati's defense needs to improve in a big way, and the Bengals will need to find a way to replace the production from Trey Hendrickson, who's now in Baltimore.

Howell, Myles Murphy, Shemar Stewart, and Boye Mafe will attempt to replace Hendrickson this year, as the new-look Bengals defensive line is a very intriguing unit.