The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to be major players in the 2026 NFL Draft for both inside and outside linebackers, but is Cashius Howell the edge defender they really want?
Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licth has, overall, done a good job of leading this organization in the 2020s, but he has a particular habit of really emphasizing not only the best player available in the NFL Draft, but also prioritizing the best possible athletes.
Although Howell impressed at the NFL Scouting Combine in one regard this year with the fastest time bending around the edge in drills, he did not have the best Combine as a whole and emerged as one of the losers in a loaded front seven class that largely impressed in Indianapolis.
Cashius Howell did not test to Jason Licht's standard
Howell's RAS score, which is a measurement of a player's all-around athletic profile, was quite poor compared to his draft hype as a first-round edge rushing prospect. He scored an 8.11 out of 10.00, and as J.T. Olson of the Bucs Report pointed out, Licht has never burned a first-round pick on a player in nearly 10 years of Buccaneers drafts with a RAS score under 9.0.
So the question then becomes, is Howell good enough for Licht to buck that trend? More specifically, would Howell be the best edge rusher available at No. 15 and better than the special athletes available at No. 15 at inside linebacker? Would Licht see a big enough need off the edge to go for Howell there?
The answer is that it is highly unlikely Howell is going to be the pick for Tampa Bay, especially after the Combine. Now, it's still possible Licht makes an exception for Howell for a couple of reasons. Firstly and most importantly, his tape at Texas A&M was incredibly impressive, and both his tape and work ethic should matter more than the drills.
Secondly, a lot of his RAS score being deflated was his short arms, and as so many edge rushers over the years have proven in the NFL, this is actually a less consequential negative than people think. But then thirdly, Howell's speed off the edge in games and measured at the Combine are more important than the drills themselves in isolation, and so if Licht loves Howell's film and feels edge rusher is important enough to buck the "best available" ideal, then the Texas A&M grad could be his first exception.