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Should the Buccaneers draft Texas A&M Defensive End/EDGE Cashius Howell? / via Instagram

Writing The Ship: Buccaneers Can Cash In At Edge Rusher

January 13, 2026

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the market for a pass rusher. With Haason Reddick likely gone in free agency and Chris Braswell not having developed into anything thus far, it leaves a lot to be desired from the edge group. I expect that this is an area that general manager Jason Licht will invest meaningful resources into this offseason.

The 15th overall pick in the NFL draft could be one of those resources that the Bucs look to invest. Miami defensive end and Texas Tech outside linebacker are the two big names this year in terms of pass rush. I think both would fit well with this team, but at this point I don’t expect either to be on the board.

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However, there is one more guy in what I would consider the top tier of pass rushers in this draft class. Someone who I think has a realistic shot to fall to the Bucs and someone who would be an ideal fit. Here’s how I think the Buccaneers can cash in at edge rusher.

When people think of college football, they think of the Southeastern Conference (also known as the SEC). It’s a league that has dominated college football over the past 20 years and up until the last few years was widely considered the best division at the college level. If you get a player from the SEC then you know you are getting one of the best of the best.

Today I am focused on the SEC defensive player of the year in 2025. That man is Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell (Do you get it? Cashius. Cash in at edge rusher.). This All American had 14.0 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks this past season.

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This was his breakout year at the highest level after sitting behind first round pick Shemar Stewart and second round pick Nic Scourton last season. He had 4.0 sacks in that rotational role last year after coming off a 9.5 sack season at Bowling Green State University in 2023. Now he has shown that he can dominate against even the best competition that college football has to offer.

Howell is an athletic and fluid pass rusher. He is really good at bending around the edge and getting his shoulders dipped down to slither past offensive tackles. It’s a great complement of styles when compared to the physical power profile of Yaya Diaby.

Not only does Howell have the natural flexibility to bend the edge, but he also has really good hands. This is not just an athlete who runs by people at the college level. Howell has a fairly polished pass rush arsenal that he can go to in order to beat blockers.

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This is a part of his game that doesn’t get enough credit. Many evaluators will highlight the fact that he has very short arms and that he won’t be able to be as effective at the NFL level. That might be true to a degree, but as we have learned from the likes of Luke Goedeke and Calijah Kancey (two other trench players the Bucs drafted with short arms) all that really matters is how well you use those arms.

In terms of run defense, the best a can say about Howell is that he gives a good effort. He can use his ability to get off blocks and apply that as a run defender which gives him some value in this area. However, at 6’2 and 245 lbs he just doesn’t have the raw power to hold the point of attack.

Make no mistake, Howell is a pass rusher. He will never be someone who is a top tier run defender and whoever drafts him is going to have to be at peace with that. He can be driven out of the play by offensive tackles and even neutralized by tight ends as a run defender.

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There is one other aspect of Howell’s game that will give him value beyond rushing the passer. An element that will allow Todd Bowles to use him as more than just a designated pass rusher. This would be the ability to drop into coverage.

Many fans have been critical of Bowles’ use of edge rushers and the way he drops them into coverage as often as he does. They have pointed to the fact that it doesn’t let pass rushers do what they do best or even something that they are good at. That wouldn’t be the case with Howell.

As an outside linebacker, Howell is no stranger to covering the short passes. Not just running backs out of the backfield, but he can legitimately drop back and defend space in the short and intermediate areas. This is why Howell has racked up 13 passes defended over the last two seasons.

As with any prospect, there are shortcomings with Howell’s game. His underwhelming run defense and his short arms will turn some teams away from drafting the best defender in the SEC this year. However, their loss could be the Buccaneers gain.

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Jason Licht has shown that he’s not afraid to draft players with short arms as long as the talent and the tape project well to the next level. Howell’s skillset does project well; especially for a Bucs defense that will utilize his coverage ability more than most teams. In terms of both need, fit and talent Howell should be high on the Buccaneers draft board.