Al Golden's Latest Cashius Howell Quote Is Exactly What Bengals Fans Wanted To Hear

Last season, the Cincinnati Bengals' rushing defense was anything but stout. The AFC North side allowed an astoundingly bad 147.1 rushing yards per game, numbers that planted the Bengals at the bottom of the NFL.

Through this first wave of the offseason, improving the defense as a whole has been a priority. The Bengals have added the likes of Boye Mafe, Jonathan Allen, Kyle Dugger, Bryan Cook, and Ja’Sir Taylor.

All of this was before the bombshell trade for Dexter Lawrence II, a player who was touted as the league’s 17th-best player heading into last season.

Combine that with Cincinnati drafting Texas A&M defensive end Cashius Howell with the 41st pick in this year’s NFL Draft, and you can begin to find comfort in an improved defense ahead of next season.

“He Is A Violent Player”

Dec 20, 2025; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive end Cashius Howell (9) tackles Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney (10) during the game between the Aggies and the Hurricanes at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

When speaking with the media following Howell’s selection, second-year defensive coordinator Al Golden described Howell’s acumen towards running offenses.

“He's violent. He's strong enough at the point of attack. But he is a violent player in the chase,” quoted Golden.

Howell finished last season with a PFF overall grade of 81.2, which included a rushing grade of 90.3, which ranked 26th in the nation among edge rushers.

“He lays heavy on the backside of plays. If you're stunting him, he penetrates and is violent and disruptive,” finished Golden.

Howell was a three-star recruit coming out of Rockhurst High School in Kansas City. As an underrecruited talent, Howell had to ply his trade at Bowling Green, where for three seasons (his last two were as a starter), Howell tore up the Mid-American Conference, finishing with 56 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks. 9.5 of those aforementioned sacks came in the 2023 season, which led the MAC.

Howell capitalized on his newfound momentum and took to the transfer portal and eventually landed with the Texas A&M Aggies, after being rated as the nation’s 60th-overall transfer. Howell notched an outstanding 71 tackles, with 22.5 tackles for loss, and 15.5 sacks over his two years.

The new Bengal finished last season as a unanimous All-American, along with SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

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