Patriots draft target: Cashius Howell fits their mold along the edge

As both executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and head coach Mike Vrabel said at the NFL Combine, the edge position is one of the biggest needs for the New England Patriots.

Even after signing Dre’Mont Jones to a three-year deal on the first day of free agency, that remains true. Jones is expected to start opposite of Harold Landry, but the veteran’s ability after an injury plagued season is TBD. And after losing K’Lavon Chaisson and Anfernee Jennings in free agency, just second-year players Elijah Ponder and Bradyn Swinson remain as options on the depth chart.

That being said, the Patriots adding to the group early in the NFL Draft seems like a foregone conclusion based on the offseason so far. And if they do, Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell looks like a candidate to be brought aboard.

Hard facts

Name: Cashius Howell

Position: Edge rusher

School: Texas A&M (Rs Sr.)

Opening day age: 23 (4/16/2003)

Measurements: 6’2 1/2”, 253 lbs, 74 1/4” wingspan, 30 1/4” arm length, 9 1/4” hand size, 4.59 40-yard dash, 1.58 10-yard split, 32.5” vertical jump, 9’ 7” broad jump, 8.16 Relative Athletic Score

Experience

Colleges: Bowling Green (2021-23), Texas A&M (2024-25)

Accolades: Unanimous All-American (2025), SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2025), First-team All-SEC (2025), Third-team All-MAC (2023)

A former three-star recruit who lettered in football and basketball, Howell committed to Bowling Green University to start his collegiate career. After retaining his redshirt status his freshman year, Howell went on to play in all 24 games over the next two seasons for the Falcons. His 9.5 sacks in 2023 ranked first in the MAC as he earned third-team All-Conference honors.

Entering the transfer portal, Howell committed to Texas A&M and joined a talented defensive line that featured future NFL Draft picks Nic Scourton, Shemar Stewart, and Shemar Turner. Howell recorded 4.0 sacks on the year as he joined the pass rush rotation, but was then handed the keys in 2025. It was then where Howell showed his dominance earning Unanimous All-American honors while being named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year as he logged 11.5 sacks while his 19.9% pass rush win rate was among the best in college football.

Howell then declared for the NFL Draft as a redshirt senior and participated in the NFL Combine.

Draft profile

Projected round: 1-2 | Consensus big board: No. 34 | Patriots meeting: Combine

Strengths: Highlighted by his 96th percentile 1.58-second 10-yard split, Howell is extremely explosive with good burst off the line of scrimmage. He has elite bend to dip and evade tackles around the edge and works his best off of a cross chop and ghost move — which helped take over a game against LSU this past season.

Howell’s tool bag also features inside counters, such as a strong spin move, to work off his primary rushes and the occasional win with power. He’s a high motor player and his athleticism also gives him an added boost when asked to drop into coverage.

Weaknesses: The down side with Howell starts with his size, as his 30 1/4” arms are the shortest at the position going back to the 1990s. His wingspan is 2nd-lowest. He’s a historical outlier at the position. While his collegiate production has proven he can overcome the lack of length as a rusher, Howell was not a productive player against the run. He often tries to overcompensate his lack of length by shooting up field and vacating gaps.

Patriots preview

What would be his role? With the aforementioned Harold Landry and Dre’Mont Jones projected as the starters on the edge, Howell would work in a the team’s third rusher out of the gate with a big-time role in obvious passing situations. New England’s edge group combined for the lowest pass rush win rate in the NFL last season, so Howell’s addition should be a step towards fixing that.

Does he have positional versatility? Howell spent time rushing over both tackles throughout his collegiate career. He’s also shown the ability to drop into coverage — something the Patriots don’t discredit in their edge rushers — with 15 career pass deflections, his best perhaps coming on a near interception on a downfield wheel route against Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.

What is his growth potential? The ability to get to the quarterback should allow Howell to be a No. 2 edge rusher and passing down specialist at the next level. But his growth against the run or fit in the right scheme will determine if he can handle three-down responsibilities at the next level.

Why the Patriots? The Patriots need pass rushing juice along the edge and Howell fits the mold in what they look for at 6-foot-2, 253 pounds with explosive and disruptive ability. In fact, Howell’s height, weight, hand size, 40-yard dash and 10-yard split are all comparable to Harold Landry coming out of Boston College. New England also might not be concerned with his run defense, as they ask their ends to be aggressive and get inside and up the field to force rushers outside into spilling linebackers.

Why not the Patriots? Howell’s dominant 2025 season may result in other pass rush needy teams selecting him ahead of the Patriots’ 31st overall pick. In a deep edge rusher class, New England may also favor another player at the position — perhaps someone who has more length.

One-sentence verdict: Howell fits the primary boxes New England has valued under Mike Vrabel along the edge, while his question marks as a prospect could allow him to fall to No. 31.

For more information about Cashius Howell and the rest of this year’s class of prospects, please take a look at Adam’s 2026 NFL Draft Guide.

Also, what do you think about Howell as a potential Patriots target? Do you like him? Where would you pick him? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.

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