Cincinnati Bengals second-round draft pick Cashius Howell is landing in an ideal situation. Cincinnati’s defensive line is now loaded with talent, and the No. 41 pick doesn’t have to be an amazing player out of the box just yet.

But if you think there’s some Will Anderson Jr.-like potential here, you wouldn’t be too far off base.

Cashius Howell has an elite trait comparable to All-Pro Will Anderson

On tape, Howell is a menace rushing off the edge. He can dip under punches from opposing offensive tackles, bend from his hips with ease, and turn the corner at the apex of his rush.

It’s an elite ability he has, and the data from the NFL Scouting Combine backs it up. Check the Mic’s Sam Monson relayed a promising factoid originally reported by NFL Draft insider Todd McShay.

“The note from Todd McShay that at the combine, he reached 14.5 miles per hour when turning the corner in that pass rush drill they do at the combine,” Monson said. “Which was the fastest pass rush speed from any defensive line prospect since Will Anderson Jr. Hour in 2023 according to [Next Gen Stats]. So you know he has functional speed and functional ability to turn the corner.”

Anderson’s top speed in the drill was slightly above the mark Howell posted three years later. The Houston Texans traded up nine spots in 2023 to draft Anderson No. 3 overall. The former Alabama product earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and has been named to two Pro Bowls and a First Team All-Pro. He signed the league’s first $50 million per year contract for a defensive player earlier this offseason.

That Howell is even comparable to Anderson in this regard is very promising, but athleticism is only part of the evaluation and projection for how good he can be at the next level.

Strong production follows Howell into the NFL

Anderson didn’t just become a dominant EDGE on freakish traits alone. He knows how to turn those traits into production. He did so at the college level, and so did Howell according to Monson’s co-host Steve Palazzolo.

“When I look at historic edge rushers who became what I define as solid or better players in the NFL, Cassius Howell, well out performs those players as far as college production and overall pass rushing production, pass rush win rate, pressure percentage,” Palazzolo said. “I mean, he’s in the 90th+ percentile as far as college production goes, as a pass rusher, and then relative to other good NFL players, he’s well above that threshold.”

It speaks to why Bengals scout Tyler Ramsay thinks so highly of Howell, and why the club had a clear first-round grade on the 23-year old.

“To get him there is huge,” Ramsey told Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson. “We were already discussing him in the first round if we were able to move back, and maybe even if we got picked over at No. 10. That’s the kind of player we see him.”

Expectations should be high for Cincinnati’s newest pass rusher off the edge. If he’s anything remotely close to Anderson, it will be one of the Bengals’ best draft picks in their history.