Bengals Top Pick Cashius Howell Signs Rookie Contract, Completing Team's 2026 Draft Class

For the first time since 2023, the Cincinnati Bengals will go into their mandatory minicamp with all of their rookie draft picks under contract.

Defensive end Cashius Howell completed the set Tuesday shortly after the team wrapped up it’s fifth of six OTA practices. Mandatory minicamp runs next Tuesday through Thursday.

The four-year deal is worth a little more than $12 million, all of which is expected to be fully guaranteed.

Unlike last year when first-round pick Shemar Stewart wasn’t practicing at all after balking at a clause in the contract and refusing to sign the injury waiver, Howell has been working with the defense since arriving for rookie camp in early May.

The second-round pick from Texas A&M is expected to be part of the pass-rush rotation behind starting edge rusher Myles Murphy and Boye Mafe, as the Bengals have spent the offseason ensuring they will be able to send waves after opposing quarterbacks.

Howell joins Mafe and defensive tackles Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen as new faces on the defensive line.

“We’re fired up to add Cashius Howell to our pass rush — add a lot of juice here in the second round on top of what we did with the Dexter Lawrence trade,” assistant GM Mike Potts said shortly after the team selected Howell with the No. 41 pick.

“Obviously, it gives us a lot of guys up front to really fortify our defense,” Potts continued. “We’re fired up about what Cashius is going to bring in terms of the pass rush. We like his physicality and his instincts in the run game as well. He’s a guy we had targeted throughout the process, and we did a lot of work on him throughout this whole spring.”

Last year, Stewart walked out of mandatory minicamp after failing to come to terms with the front office. He didn’t sign until July 26, the fourth day of training camp.

Injuries and the fact that he was so behind led to mostly a lost rookie season for Stewart.

“Last year I would go out there and I’m saying, ‘I somewhat know what I need to do, but I’m not 100 percent sure,” Stewart admitted last month. “And then I go out there and I overthink. Then I don’t make a play. Then it’s just a whole lot of things because I’m just too up in here.”

In 2024, right tackle Amarius Mims signed his rookie July 22, two days before the start of training camp.

Like Howell, Mims signed the waiver and participated fully in the offseason program. He went on to play 15 games with 13 starts as a rookie.

In 2023, the Bengals had all of their draft picks under contract a week before minicamp, signing all eight players on the same day – May 12.

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