The Cincinnati Bengals couldn't help but stress that they would have drafted Cashius Howell in the first round if necessary.
All these months later, all Howell did was break out as a star of training camp who looks ready to produce when the regular season arrives.
And here is the regular season just now, with Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and others throwing out major notables about their rookie pass-rusher.
"I don't think he's missed a day," Taylor told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. "He's definitely done everything he's had to do to be used at the maximum volume." …
Coach-speak?
Maybe, but defensive coordinator Al Golden is right there with similar ideas.
“Hitting on Cashius,” Golden said, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. “I can’t underscore
how important that is because he’s come through for us in terms of his intellect, his work ethic, his ability to process, and his learning curve.”
Fans see it: “maximum volume.”
Also: “Hitting on Cashius.”
It feels like the last time the Bengals talked like this, meaning a second-rounder as a first-round guy, the topic was Tee Higgins.
So, here comes Howell. He was super productive in college, the opposite of his teammate, Shemar Stewart, who was more of an upside-minded prospect. He’s going to be a key part of the rotation already with Stewart coming back from injury and Myles Murphy and Boye Mafe needing to stay fresh.
Keep in mind, too, that Golden likes to disguise things across their multiple looks, so Howell has the athleticism to help out in coverage, too. Onlookers saw some of that in camp.
The centerpiece of the defensive turnaround is Dexter Lawrence, no doubt. But if Howell can match some of the hype of his summer and what the coaches have to say, it will go a long way toward reviving that side of the ball properly in Cincinnati.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: It sounds like Bengals rookie Cashius Howell will be instant breakout
