It's getting harder to ignore hype around Bengals' Cashius Howell

The Cincinnati Bengals liked eventual second-round pick Cashius Howell so much that they have basically admitted drafting him in the first round was on the table.

There were drawbacks with Howell, as many have exhaustively noted his short arm measurements. But even national media has pushed back on this, with one insider throwing Howell a Maxx Crosby comparison.

No matter how one feels about the pick, Howell carved out an SEC Defensive Player of the Year honor last year via 11.5 sacks and 14 tackles-for-loss, among other feats.

In the aftermath of the draft, Texas A&M defensive line coach Tony Jerod-Eddie explained to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com why Howell should keep right on being productive at the pro level.

"His game and his style of play translates great to the NFL level,” Jerod-Eddie told Hobson. “We ran a pro-style defense, so he'll be ready to do whatever is asked. He's serious about his craft. He sits in the meetings, he takes tremendous notes. There's a switch he flips and he becomes highly competitive. Ultra-competitive. He'll tell you about it a little, too, which I love."

Howell will get his shot to prove it right away. It sounds like coordinator Al Golden has hybrid roles planned for him across multiple formations.

And keeping things basic, the Bengals just need pass-rushing juice as they hope for more from Shemar Stewart and . The same goes for big free-agent add .