The New England Patriots have the No. 31 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and all signs point to the team investing in their edge rush in the first round.
There have been several names thrown around, and head coach Mike Vrabel himself confirmed that they hosted more than 10 edge rushers for interviews before the start of the NFL Combine on Thursday.
Insider Evan Lazar reported that among those 10 is Texas A&M linebacker Cashius Howell.
Howell had the most sacks among draft-eligible players in college football’s premier conference, the SEC.
The 22-year-old wrapped up two highly productive years for the Aggies with 11.5 sacks this season, helping his team earn a College Football Playoff berth. He played five college seasons. His career began at Bowling Green, where he recorded 9.5 sacks as a redshirt sophomore.
Very few players in this draft class have more than his 27 sacks during their college career. However, at just 6-foot-2, he leaves a lot to be desired as far as the NFL prototype pass-rush build is concerned.
Clearly, his size has not hindered the linebacker from getting into the backfield in college. But it does show up in the run game on numerous occasions.
He is a bendy pass rusher who has polished moves, but he is not entering the league as a three-down defensive end. His NFL comparison is Will McDonald IV of the New York Jets.