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Todd McShay

Find the most comprehensive analysis on [Player Name], featuring Todd McShay’s evaluations. Official measurables, advanced analytics, and a scout’s eye provide the most in-depth breakdown of a prospect’s strengths and weaknesses, NFL draft projection, and potential at the next level.

Edge

Cashius Howell

Grade89 /100
Pos Rank9
OVR Rank28
School
TAMU

Experience

Played56
Started24

POSITION STATS LAST SEASON

Sacks
12.5
TFL
15
Tackles
32
FF
1
PBU
6
Todd McShay

Position-Specific Grades

COMBINE RESULTS

Height
6' 2 1/2"
Weight
253lbs
Todd McShay
ARM
30 1/4"
Todd McShay
HAND
9 1/4"
40-Yard Dash
4.59sec
Todd McShay
10-Yard Split
1.58sec
Vertical
32
Broad Jump
9' 7"

The Takeaway

The Player

Howell is a flat-out playmaker with a dizzying combination of takeoff burst (evidenced by a 1.58-second 10-yard split), change-of-direction quickness, upper-body violence, and closing speed. He has great instincts getting to the quarterback, whether that’s with speed, power, or savvy. He has an effective array of moves and does a good job of advancing his rush while engaging bigger offensive tackles. His special trait is his ability to shave an edge tightly while doing so at an insanely high speed. Howell reached 14.52 mph while turning the corner in the pass rush drill at the combine, which was the fastest pass rush speed by any DL prospect since Will Anderson Jr. (14.90 mph) in 2023, per Next Gen Stats.Positives aside, his short arms (30 1/4 inches) are a major red flag. Teams don’t like outliers, and the NFL hasn’t seen a double-digit sack producer in 20 years with arms shorter than 31 inches. In addition, when Howell is trapped in tight quarters, that lack of length (coupled with insufficient sand in the trunk) shows up on tape. However, his core strength and suddenness are so much more impressive than similarly sized edge rushers that it allows him to alleviate trouble even if he loses the initial battle with his blocker (which is rare). 

The Draft

Howell’s undersized, which will keep him out of the top tier of edge defenders. But he’s closer to Akheem Mesidor than he is to the tier below. He’s a top-25 pick on tape (who will fall out of Round 1 only because of his red-flag arm length) and a day one impact starter for a defense that knows how to deploy him properly.

The Projection

Howell is a versatile game breaker who will be a weapon in today’s era of positionless defense. He’ll be compared to Pittsburgh’s Nick Herbig due to their short arm length, relentlessness, and strong instincts, which establishes a pretty good floor for Howell given that Herbig had 7.5 sacks last season. But Howell’s movement—the suddenness, change of direction, edge bending—reminds me more of Harold Landry when he came out of Boston College in 2018.