Bengals fans will love Cashius Howell even more after hearing his newfound motivation to dominate for Cincinnati
Cashius Howell grew up a Kansas City Chiefs fan, and his childhood team passed on him for another EDGE. Howell was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals one pick later in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Cashius Howell already has added motivation as the Cincinnati Bengals’ second-round pick from the 2026 NFL Draft.
The 23-year old was born and raised in Kansas City, MO. He grew up a Chiefs fan, and his childhood team had the chance to draft him twice after trading up for Mansoor Delane at No. 6 overall.
Kansas City went with Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods at No. 29, and Oklahoma EDGE R Mason Thomas at No. 40. Thomas was picked one spot ahead of Howell.
That pick especially caught Howell’s attention.
“They took an edge rusher before me,” Howell said to media members after being drafted. “It’s all good. Like I said, grew up a Kansas City Chiefs fan, but at this point, I’m just thankful to be a Bengal, so we gonna see them whenever we see them.
“I’m very happy to be a Bengal, and wouldn’t want to be a Kansas City Chief at this point.”
Key Facts, Stats, and Odds about Bengals EDGE Cashius Howell picked in Round 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft
- Cashius Howell was selected with the No. 41 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M. Howell was born and raised in Kansas City, Mo. and started his college career at Bowling Green State in 2021. He transferred to Texas A&M in 2024 and spent that season playing alongside Shemar Stewart, who was the Bengals’ first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
- Howell emerged as a starter for the Aggies in 2025, leading the defense with 11 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss. He posted a pass rush win rate of 28.8% against true pass sets, which ranked fourth among Power 4 EDGEs in this year’s draft. He was named a unanimous All-American, First Team All-SEC, and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
- Howell was the 19th defensive player picked in the 2026 draft. He currently has the 12th-best odds to win Defensive Player of the Year at +2800.
Cashius Howell will look to prove the Chiefs wrong as a Bengal
Howell had his draft party in his hometown. It would’ve been quite the story for him to be drafted by the team in his backyard.
Instead, they may’ve just created a villain.
Thomas and Howell were not separated by much in terms of consensus ranking. The former was No. 37 player on the A to Z Sports Mock Draft Database, while the latter was No. 29.
K.C. thought it best to take Thomas, and the Bengals landed a guy they had a first-round grade on.
“He was far and away the highest guy that we had, and completely kept falling to us, to be honest with you,” defensive coordinator Al Golden said of Howell. “And so we couldn’t have been more thrilled when he was there for us.”
Cincinnati will host the Chiefs at some point during the 2026 regular season. It will be the first time Kansas City plays the Bengals in Paycor Stadium since 2022.
The Howell family has every reason to root for the home team in that matchup.
