Cashius Howell pick makes Cincinnati Bengals' dominant D-line philosophy evident

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The embodiment of the philosophy was second-round pick Cashius Howell, an All-American pass rusher and SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Nearly every major milepost of the last two months was dedicated to enhancing the pass rush. They paid Boye Mafe $20 million per year, added former Pro Bowler Jonathan Allen and, stunningly, traded the No. 10 pick for Dexter Lawrence. Now, they add Howell behind 2025 first-round pick Shemar Stewart as a fourth edge with a unique skill set not possessed among the rest of the group. Lawrence and last year’s starter, T.J. Slaton, both man the nose tackle spot. Allen and a now-healthy B.J. Hill will keep each other free at three-technique. Former top draft picks Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson are in a third wave with a chance to see their careers sink or swim in Year 3. The defensive line was reconstructed more dramatically and uniquely than any offseason in recent franchise history. The Bengals are betting a deep, dominant line will make irrelevant the remaining issues they brushed aside Friday. The theme was clear before this weekend, but the Howell selection left no doubt. “We want to be able to come at people in waves,” defensive coordinator Al Golden said. “I think we’ve established that now. We have great character in that room. We have leadership … I couldn’t be more thrilled the way it all worked out.” When assistant general manager Mike Potts and the Bengals personnel department plotted out the offseason in January and February, this was the vision. Maybe the names were blurry, but the theme was 20/20. It’s hard to not see clearly in hindsight, considering the Seahawks and Eagles set the template in championship runs the past two seasons. The theme served as an important reminder and reinforced a tenet of NFL reality. “I think it did some, but it’s always something we have placed a priority on,” Potts said. “Obviously, a lot of our assets were placed into the offense in previous years. We’re kind of evening that out a little bit now. But, for sure, it’s a copycat league to some degree. (And) at the same time, we want to stay ahead of the curve — we don’t want to be chasing other teams. But it’s no secret that if you rush the passer and you stop the run, that’s a good formula for success on defense.” The formula also involved targeting skill sets they lacked. The Bengals haven’t picked a smaller, faster, bendy edge since coach Zac Taylor’s arival. The prototype rugged 6-4, 270-pound athlete showed up repeatedly. It limited some of what the Bengals could do at times for Golden, who sought more versatility in his approach. So, Cincinnati targeted Howell quickly with a meeting at the combine, Taylor chose Texas A&M for one of his few pro day visits and then the club brought him in on a top 30 visit. There were few prospects they paid more attention to in the pre-draft process. That’s because the tape showed a player with 11 sacks and versatility to drop into coverage in ways Joseph Ossai and Myles Murphy couldn’t. They can pull him out in simulated pressures or allow him to cover the flats on certain calls. He speaks to the “versatility without substitution” mantra Golden preached since the season ended. But, more than any of that, the dude can hunt QBs with extreme ferocity coming off the edge in ways nobody else on the roster can. “We have different body types there now,” Potts said. “Shemar and Myles are probably in a similar mold. He’s maybe a little bit closer to Boye. I think the quick wins he can give us as a rusher are really dynamic. His arsenal of rush tools and moves that he has … I don’t want to speak for anybody else, but I thought they were second to none in this draft class.” The Bengals passed on enticing and important options at pick No. 41. Almost impossibly, the Bengals have reached Saturday of the draft and not added a single linebacker to that group, undeniably the weakest position on the roster in 2025. Golden once more professed his belief in a Year 2 jump for 2025 rookies Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight after both logged 700-plus snaps during ugly first seasons. Improvements all around them, paired with a year of experience, provide a pathway to improvement. But the plan is for a leap, both in play and of faith. Then there they were, despite the second- and third-best linebacker prospects, Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez and Georgia’s C.J. Allen, both on the board as well as calls to move back lighting up the phone lines, the Bengals weren’t moving off Howell. They also have Jalen Davis as the current starting slot corner, who spent the first half of last season on the practice squad. Drafting among an impressive group of Round 2 corners would send critical ripple effects down that dangerously thin position. There was Clemson’s Aveion Terrell, Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds and South Carolina’s Brandon Cisse. One round later, they landed long, athletic outside corner Tacario Davis, who offers an intriguing future and versatility as another style of player they didn’t have. But the gap in immediate expectations over those a round earlier is significant in terms of impacting 2026. The second-rounders would quickly change the face of a lacking premium position. The Bengals weren’t budging. Instead, they added a fourth edge to the line one year after taking Stewart with a first-round pick. “It just wasn’t significant enough compensation for us to move off that pick and not take a guy we have a great vision for, coach has a great vision for,” Potts said. “We were completely aligned from a personnel and coaching staff standpoint. This guy is one of our favorite players in the draft.” That’s not as much acceptance of risk as a defensive mission statement. As de facto general manager Duke Tobin said back in January, “pass rush is king,” and they left no doubt that philosophy would drive the decisions. Golden outlined how consistent pressure will help the corners break on the ball faster and offer versatility in how they approach the game on the back end strategically. “It allows you to maybe be a little more courageous in some areas, because you can speed the quarterback up between the middle push and what will be coming from the outside, and I think that’s going to give our whole back seven confidence,” Golden said. The line can help the corners play with confidence. Meanwhile, Lawrence spoke excitedly at his opening press conference about helping the two linebackers. “I can’t wait to talk and get real with them,” he said. “I want to make their job easy.” The waves are now in place to wash away the doubt and replace it with belief. There’s time for reserves to backfill positions of need, of course, to be the Dalton Risner and Noah Fant of 2026. Yet, for the core, depended-upon group of starters, all sustainability will be tied to this versatile, deep collection of linemen. They now become the face of a defense long lacking an identity that places fear into the game-planning sessions of offensive coordinators. Obsessed with pass rush. Versatile in style of attack. Stockpiling quick winners around the pocket-pushing Lawrence. This is how they believe they can cover up any shortcomings. This path, blazed by Philadelphia and Seattle, makes too much sense not to follow. On Friday, with the selection of Howell, they left no doubt about the direction they are headed. This is who the 2026 Cincinnati Bengals want to be. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms