Bengals Talent Projected to Make NFL All-Rookie Team Ahead of 2026 Season

This would be a huge boost if the season played out this way.

Sep 14, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A general view of the helmet of Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (30) during warmups before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Bengals may have a dark horse All-Rookie candidate on their defense.

NFL.com's Gennaro Filice released his full All-Rookie team projections for the 2026 season, and Cashius Howell was one of his first-team edge rusher picks.

The second-round pick is going to get some more rep exposure than normal over the foreseeable future with Shemar Stewart on the mend. He was the only Bengal to make this All-Rookie projection.

"I guess I really don't care about arm length," Filice said about Howell's historically short arms. "Howell's measurement was even shorter than Rueben Bain Jr.'s at 30 1/4 inches, which helps explain why the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year fell into Round 2. The undersized defensive end could be a liability on early downs, but Cincinnati didn't draft the 6-3, 255-pounder to stop the run. With Trey Hendrickson now playing for the rival Ravens, the Bengals need guys to heat opposing quarterbacks.

"Last year's first-round pick, Shemar Stewart, proved to be as raw as many feared, so Cincy went back to the Texas A&M edge factory for a different model. As a speed ball with a deep bag of tricks, Howell has the kind of refined skill set that can provide immediate returns in a DPR (designated pass rusher) role. For comparison's sake, Howell had more sacks last October (5.5) than Stewart had in his three-season college career (4.5). So, yes, I expect Howell to blow past Stewart's rookie sack total of one."

Howell is hungry to prove his doubters wrong this coming season, and performing well enough to make an All-Rookie team would do just that.

He spoke about the noise with FOX 19's Gabi Sorrentino after the first day of Bengals training camp.

"What I'm looking forward to the most is just going out there and proving myself. Just, just really showcasing what I could do," Howell told Sorrentino. "I know there's been a lot of doubts, you know, within my game. Just, just really going out there and showcasing that my game does actually translate to the next level, and that I'm here to stay."

Howell was a monster AP first-team All-American performer last season, and it vaulted him to SEC Defensive Player of the Year status. The edge rusher tied for seventh in the FBS with 11.5 sacks and started all 13 games.

Check out his chat with Sorrentino below:

Two minutes with #Bengals rookie Cashius Howell following his first day of Training Camp:

* What the fan support means to him
* Shemar Stewart's injury
* Learning from veterans on the defense
* What he's looking forward to the most about camp@FOX19 pic.twitter.com/tJnBBNeSTw

— Gabi Sorrentino (@GSorrentinoTV) July 29, 2026

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