EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCINCINNATI -- Just before he officially made his NFL debut, Cashius Howell was playing video games with his friends when he thought about something that sounds absurd when said out loud.Before he emerged as one of the best Cincinnati Bengals rookies in recent memory, he was a young defensive end transitioning from playing in the MAC at Bowling Green to being in the SEC with Texas A&M.And in hindsight, that was tougher than getting acclimated in the NFL."Not like the NFL is easy or anything -- this is the best people in the world -- but I feel like it was more of a struggle trying to get from the MAC to the SEC than it was the SEC to the NFL, if that makes sense."It really shouldn't. But the last few months, including Sunday's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, shows why it does. According to Next Gen Stats, Howell matched defensive end Boye Mafe with a team-high four quarterback pressures.While defensive coordinator Al Golden playfully scoffed at the various analytics used to measure players, there was no disputing Howell's immediate impact."He showed up (on Sunday)," Golden told reporters on Monday.Five months after the Bengals drafted him, it still seems incredulous to some at Paycor Stadium that Cincinnati was able to take the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year.Golden recalled that entering the draft, as many as 10 Bengals personnel out of a ballpark of maybe 12 people gave Howell a first-round draft grade. But after the first 32 picks went off the board, Howell was still available.The next day, he went to the Bengals with the 41st overall pick. And since then, the transition has been virtually flawless.Bengals right tackle Amarius Mims, considered one of the team's top ascending talents, said Howell is one of the best rookies he's lined up against in his three years in the league.As good as he looked against the Bengals in offseason workouts and training camp, the real eye-opener came in the joint practice against the Chicago Bears. Howell held his own against Chicago's Darnell Wright, who ranked fourth in the NFL last season in pass block win rate as a tackle (ESPN/Next Gen Stats).That was enough to not only warrant a closer look but validate the same feeling that Golden and others felt during draft weekend."I don't know he fell to us in the second round," Mims said on Monday. "I don't know how that was possible. But I'm very glad he's on our team. He's going to be a great, great addition for us."Bengals defensive end Shemar Stewart was teammates with Howell at A&M in 2024, one year before Stewart declared for the NFL and the Bengals drafted him in the first round. And he doesn't seem to recall Howell having any learning curve when he arrived in College Station."I just remember him dogging people out, doing people in," Stewart said with a big laugh. "That's the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to Cash."In his final year at A&M, he was second in the SEC with 11.5 total sacks. And in his first true NFL action, Howell made an early impact.In the first quarter, he shed Tampa Bay tight end Cade Otton before forcing right guard Cody Mauch into a holding penalty. The pressure helped Cincinnati's Kris Jenkins Jr. secure the sack.Howell officially didn't register any stats while playing on 44% of the team's defensive snaps. But his output showed how a defensive lineman can affect the game without ending up in the stat book.While Howell has had a pleasant start, Stewart knows things will get tougher for his fellow Aggie as the season continues."It's a long year," Stewart said. "It's not like college. It's definitely a lot harder on your body. You're going to be mentally and physically tired because rookies just have a lot more things to do on your plate."Howell is well aware of that. He said playing in the SEC, a conference filled with pro prospects, has allowed him to adjust to the NFL game speed while meticulous offseason work prepared him for the physical rigors of the league.And despite all the praise and early returns, Howell is fixated on keeping a short-term outlook instead of focusing on the potential of a promising rookie season."I thank God in advance for whatever he has in store for me," Howell said. "Whatever that may be, I'm prepared for it. But I feel like it will be good."
