This Young Bengals Player Might Be SEVERELY Underrated

Which Bengals player is incredibly underrated heading into the 2026 season?

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Cashius Howell (55) celebrates a fumble recovery in the second quarter of the NFL Preseason game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Detroit Lions at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

This season's rookie class is loaded with top end talent, but it also has a lot of depth throughout the class. The Cincinnati Bengals didn't have a first round pick after trading for Dexter Lawrence, but they used their second round pick on edge rusher Cashius Howell, who's set to be a staple of their defense this season. Still, Bleacher Report's scouting department rated his as the No. 39 ranked rookie heading into the season, which is 10 spots lower than he was ranked before the draft.

"The Bengals are looking for an edge defender to step up and replace Trey Hendrickson this season and have invested a lot in the position between signing Boye Mafe in free agency this offseason and using a first-round pick on Shemar Stewart last year," they wrote. "That's on top of former first-rounder Myles Murphy entering a contract year. But none of those three have established themselves as sure-fire starters in the NFL, giving Howell a good chance to factor into the mix. Worst case, the 2025 SEC sack leader can at least contribute as a third-down rusher."

Howell might quickly turn into one of the more underrated players on the Bengals roster. He looked solid in the Bengals first preseason game, which is a big step in the right direction.

Cashius Howell Looked Solid in Preseason Week 1

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Cashius Howell (55) during minicamp, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at Kettering Health Practice Fields in downtown Cincinnati. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The biggest knock on Howell is his size and length. He doesn't have elite edge rusher sized arms. They're significantly shorter than most of the top edge rushers, but he makes up for that with speed and burst.

Howell didn't fill up the stat sheet in his preseason debut, but the film tells a different story. He jumped on a fumble in the game, which is certainly a solid play, but his best highlights came as a pass rusher. Howell showed off multiple ways to attack opposing offensive tackles, including a nasty spin move, and seemed to find himself near the football for most of the night.

“Man, it was fun, to get out there and make an impact with the fumble recovery, which is great," Howell said. "It’s my first game out there, so I’m still getting my feet wet and I still have room to grow.”

Howell has all the ability in the world. His motor is incredible. He has a chance to quickly prove that he was a first round talent from this year's NFL Draft. Howell plans on keeping the ball that he recovered.

“Most definitely. I don’t know where it is, but I’m definitely going to save that ball,” he said.

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