Last year’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers were quite a sight. The team spent 2025 tackling new milestones— They missed the playoffs for the first time since Jameis Winston’s turnover-palooza in 2019, they featured Todd Bowles— The ever stoic leader of Tampa’s pirates— dropping a profanity-laced tirade in a post-game press conference, they featured Jason Pierre-Paul— which would have been great if not for the context of him being 37 years old and having not registered a sack since Tom Brady was still navigating
NFL pockets, and ultimately they featured failure.
2025 was a high high followed by a lower low. The team quickly transitioned into the offseason by keeping their head coach and defensive coordinator positions unaltered, but being sure to shuffle peasants around the manor. With the new staff set, the organization flipped its focus to the players— Mainly losing them. Fans have still barely finished waving goodbye to some of their all-time favorite Buccaneers. Mike Evans departed for what he deemed to be greener pastures at Levi Stadium, Lavonte David opted for retirement, and long-tenured corner Jamel Dean is now a Pittsburgh Steeler.
The Buccaneers organization, under the direction of Jason Licht, has fouled up at times— The last 5 years, however, have been fairly well maneuvered. Tampa has had a plan and they have demonstrated an ability to execute their plan.
If there has been one nagging problem, a single thorn pricking the team’s side that has now become any infected wound it has been edge-rush. Edge pressure in Tampa Bay is not a new problem. Its the problem and has been the problem.
In a statement that feels almost absurd to pontificate, edge-rusher has (debatably) been the single biggest hole on the roster since 2022, maybe even 2021 (Shaq Barrett suffered his Achilles injury on October 10th, 2022). This is now the 2026 season the Buccaneers are gearing up for. 2025 was jellied and jammed with a myriad of problems, but a decent-sized portion of those problems can easily stem back to the systemic failure to address one of the most important positions in the modern NFL.
Since edge rusher has been an over-sized need in Tampa Bay, the Bucs first round picks have been:
- 2023- Calijah Kancey, IDL
- 2024- Graham Barton, C
- 2025- Emeka Egbuka, WR
While Calijah Kancey is a pass-rusher, he is not an edge-rusher. Kancey can play (when healthy), but he is not the dominant presence off the edge Todd Bowles’ defense has died without in recent seasons. Tampa’s other two premium picks— Offensive players. One of which was drafted to a top-5 offense as a projected non-starter due to incumbent positional depth.
The basis of “best player available” has provided Tampa with a backlog of talent at a small log of positions. 2026 simply must be where the trend ends. This year’s draft is ripe with pass-rush and the Buccaneers would prove themselves to be a team that does not need to be taken seriously if they continue to be stubborn and ignore the obviously holes on what is currently a sinking ship.
Cashius Howell: College career
Beginning his collegiate career at Bowling Green, Howell played in just four games his first season. After two years, Howell popped— Tallying 9.5 sacks in 2023, after just two in his first two seasons combined. Following his breakout campaign, Howell took a slight step back. No longer a Falcon, the future star edge defender was now an Aggie. In his first season at Texas A&M, Howell’s production wasn’t poor, but it wasn’t hitting its 2023 marks— 40 tackles, 4 sacks, a forced fumble, and his first career interception.
In a return to form, 2025 was a slam dunk showcase for Howell. He bounced his sack numbers into the double-digits for the first time in his college career, finished with another 31 tackles, and his third career forced fumble. Howell’s 11.5 sacks would be enough to grab any team’s attention, but for a team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who haven’t had an impact edge-rusher since the heydays of Shaq Barrett, haven’t seen an individual reach double-digit sacks since Barret in 2021 (10), and haven’t seen a player best Howell’s 2025 sack production since 2019 when Barrett shocked the NFL landscape with 19.5, 11.5 sacks and reps like this are enough to make fans salivate.
A potential double-digit sack edge presence is elite return on invest by itself. The hidden bonus portion of the equation is the boost a player like Howell could provide to the rest of Todd Bowles’ group. All of sudden, rather than being the guy, a player like Yaya Diaby becomes the other guy— A role he is far better suited for. Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey draw less attention on the interior because focus must be given outside to seal off the edges or, conversely, let Vita Vea eat up space and assign a double team to him, running the risk of a one-on-one with an edge-rusher who can win.
Edge-rush in Tampa Bay has been water in the desert. Double-digit sacks don’t just look good on the stat sheet they raise the level of the unit exponentially— A unit that needs raising.
Cashius Howell: Pre-draft
At the combine, Howell measured in at 6’ 2 1/2’’ and 253 lbs. He put his athleticism on full display with a 4.59 40-yard dash, a 32.5″ vert, and a 9’7″ broad jump.
His NFL comp., according to Lance Zierlein via NFL.com, is Will McDonald IV of the New York Jets. McDonald IV was drafted with the 15th overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft and has netted fairly impressive production in three seasons as a professional. Save a mild rookie campaign of 3 sacks, McDonald IV has put up 18.5 sacks over the past two seasons (10.5, 8)— He has been one of the few members of New York’s Gotham warriors to shine in recent seasons and looks to be a player they consider to be a building block moving forward.
Averaging roughly nine sacks a season is a consistent level of productivity Tampa Bay fans would line up for and production that Zierlein hinted at anticipating. He went on to say Howell has good bend, burst, and elusiveness.
“Three straight seasons of impressive pressure and sack totals… [Howell] can bend, corner and flatten into pockets… [With] a series of go-to moves in his bag.”
Of course, Howell is certainly not a perfect prospect. Most of his perceived ‘negatives’ relate to his run defending. After heaping praise on his current ability and potential as a pass rusher, Zierlein’s critique of Howell in run defense was far from glowing.
“As a run defender he’s frequently knocked around at the point and struggles to consistently execute tasks asked of an NFL edge-setter.”
The concern for Tampa Bay fans who might be clamoring for Jason Licht to pull the trigger on Howell later this month is that degrading commentary on his run defending— Something that is extremely important to Todd Bowles. Historically, Bowles has been very adamant on having players that are capable of stopping the run and has always placed a significant emphasis on being a top defensive unit against the run— Begging the question of fit.
Cashius Howell: As a fit for the Buccaneers
Yes. Just, yes. This is simple:
Anybody who can line up with an offensive tackle across from them and not imitate lint on a T-shirt is a yes. Any prospect who could challenge Tristan Wirfs in practice is a yes. Yes, to them all.
Howell immediately fits into the Bucs’ defense as a day-one impact player. What Howell may lack as a run defender is so easily offset by the instant impact he provides Tampa Bay’s pass rush. Even if Howell’s role, as a rookie, would simply be in a rotational passing-down capacity, the Buccaneers need someone to remind the team double-digit sack seasons aren’t just a fairytale, they do exist and you’re allowed to have them.
It would be great to hold out for an all around edge defender, one who stops the run, rushes the passer, and can even drop out into coverage. The issue for the Buccaneers is that is not where they are as a team. They are desperate. This is an organization and a defensive play caller/ head coach who is/are backed up against a wall due to years of neglect. Injuries aside, the defining factor in determining the level of success Todd Bowles’ defense will have in 2026 will be the team’s pass rush. Same as it was in 2025— And 2024… Also 2023… 2022 as well.
That is not because Todd Bowles is incapable, overly capable, or because he is anything in between. It’s because in the modern-day NFL, pass rush is the most pivotal part of any defense and the Buccaneers’ failure to acknowledge, realize, or care about that fact is a large portion of the reason the team is where it is— Feels like an obvious point for a franchise that started off the 2020’s by winning a Super Bowl on the back of their pass rush, but that’s where the team sits in 2026. Tampa should collect edge-rushers in this draft like a kid collecting baseball cards and Cashius Howell would be a great place to start.
If you were on the clock…
Bucs’ fans, if the choice were yours: Would you being calling Cashius Howell? Let us know in the comments below.
