Cashius Howell could bring explosiveness to Lions' pass rush

During his redshirt sophomore season, Howell emerged as a pass-rushing dynamo. He had a pass-rush win rate of 22.9%, ranking fifth among qualified FBS rushers. His pass-rushing grade from Pro Football Focus ranked 16th among qualified edge defenders (minimum 20% of snaps). He had 44 pressures and 9½ sacks en route to earning Third-Team All-MAC honors, which prompted his transfer to the SEC.

Howell was deemed a four-star prospect by 247Sports in the 2024 transfer window. He was ranked No. 60 overall and No. 8 among edge rushers in the portal. Howell told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle he chose Texas A&M with the hope of following in the footsteps of future Hall of Fame edge rushers Von Miller and Myles Garrett.

"I was obviously pretty ecstatic to know that those are some great, great football players and great, great men that's come out of A&M,” Howell said. “So, the fact that A&M was interested in me and also A&M sent those guys to the league, it gave me hope on what could potentially happen."

Howell didn’t start in 2024, stuck behind future draft picks Shemar Stewart (taken 17th overall that next offseason) and Nic Scourton (51st overall). But he still played 485 defensive snaps and contributed 34 pressures and four sacks, again with a high win rate of 19.9% (21st among qualified edge rushers). He was also solid against the run, adding 28 tackles and dropping his missed tackle rate from 19.4% to 11.9%.

Howell was a similar producer in 2025, but with 106 extra snaps and better finishing — which can be the result of many different things, including the player’s skill set or just general luck. He had the exact same win rate (19.9%), leading to a whopping 11½ sacks (tied-seventh in nation). Texas A&M started 11-0 but lost to Texas in the regular-season finale and was swiftly dismissed from the College Football Playoff by Miami, in part because Howell was not a factor; he had four pressures across the two games with no sacks and three tackles.

Still, Howell was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-American and First Team All-SEC. He was also a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Award (top defender in nation), Chuck Bednarik Award (top defender in nation) and the Lombardi Award (top lineman in nation).

Texas A&M defensive lineman Cashius Howell runs during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Cashius Howell NFL draft analysis

Howell is an explosive edge rusher with proven production who carries concerns about how his lack of an ideal frame (6-2½, 253 pounds) and arm length (30¼ inches) will impact his ability to set an edge at the next level.

Howell earned a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 8.11 out of 10 through his workouts at the NFL Combine. He impressed in the 40-yard dash, turning in a time of 4.59 seconds. Yet, his arms are a full three inches shorter than those of former Lions edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad, a similar player, stylistically, who measured in at 6-3½, 253 pounds in his draft cycle. They’re over four inches shorter than ex-Lions defensive end Cliff Avril’s (34⅝ inches), who has a similar RAS profile. It’s fair to wonder if Howell can overcome his length’s limitations.

As a pass rusher, Howell uses a combination of elite get-off, bend and quick-twitch movements to put offensive tackles in a blender. He has a pretty developed pass-rush bag, which allows him to set up moves and counter blocks. His inside spin is the stuff of nightmares. When he does get in the backfield, quarterbacks struggle to get away from his blazing speed. His knack for getting his hand on the football produced two forced fumbles and 13 pass breakups in his two seasons at A&M, with several of those plays being a result of him swiping at the football from behind the quarterback.

Depending on who you ask, Howell’s edge-setting ability might be understated. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah notes that in college, “he [could] roll his hips and utilize leverage to set the edge.” Jeremiah’s NFL.com colleague, draft analyst Lance Zierlein, sees it another way: “He’s frequently knocked around at the point and struggles to consistently execute tasks asked of an NFL edge-setter,” Zierlein writes.

While Detroit could be scared off by the questions about his prospects as an edge setter, we think his ability to drop into coverage could hold their interest. The Lions were sixth in blitz rate (30.8%) last season. Howell’s versatile skillset could help defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard confuse opposing offenses in critical situations. Four of his pass breakups over the last two seasons came on his 146 coverage snaps.

“I know he lacks prototypical measurements, but a smart team will set that aside and add an energetic force off the edge,” adds Jeremiah, who ranked Howell 28th on his big board.

Howell is ranked No. 32 overall on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big board, which aggregates rankings from more than 150 analysts. He could, in theory, be the choice for Detroit at pick No. 17. But he could also just as easily fall into the second round. Falling all the way to the Lions at pick No. 50 could be a long shot (not impossible, though), but the option of a trade-up is always there, too.

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▶ Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr.

▶ Georgia linebacker CJ Allen

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▶ Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling

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▶ Texas Tech edge defender David Bailey

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▶ Ohio State safety Caleb Downs

▶ Penn State guard Vega Ioane

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nbianchi@detroitnews.com

@nolanbianchi

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Cashius Howell, Texas A&M edge defender, an explosive option for Lions