By admin 
When you check in on the Cincinnati Bengals’ rookie crop five weeks into the season, you really only see one guy actually making noise on the field. That’s Cashius Howell. In his latest rookie class rankings for NFL Draft on SI, Justin Melo slapped a flat C+ on Cincinnati, ranking them down at 20th.
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Melo’s point was pretty simple. Howell is already playing like one of the best young pass rushers in football, while the other six guys are barely seeing the field. The Bengals’ second-round pick has been an absolute blast to watch so far. He has that fast, twitchy first step off the snap, and it has translated to Sundays right out of the gate.
Defensive coordinator Al Golden has already trusted him to hunt quarterbacks in big spots, and Howell keeps delivering. Through the first five games, the 41st overall pick has logged eight hurries, three solo tackles, three quarterback hits, and 11 total pressures while playing 41% of the defensive snaps. He has earned a 61.7 PFF pass-rush grade.
The Wait on the Big Guys Up Front
The problem is that Howell is basically running a one-man show right now. The Bengals used four of their seven picks on Day 2 and Day 3 on depth, and almost none of them have made a dent.
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A big part of that comes down to the offensive line. Fans were eager to see what rookie center Connor Lew and tackle Brian Parker II could bring to the table. But the team has kept Lew on the bench to learn behind Ted Karras, while Parker is still sitting behind the veterans on the depth chart.
The rest of the draft board is in the same boat. Cornerback Tacario Davis can barely get into the secondary rotation, receiver Colbie Young has recorded just two receptions, and late-round guys like Jack Endries and Landon Robinson are fighting just to suit up on game days.
Nobody expects a fourth- or sixth-rounder to turn into an All-Pro overnight. The Bengals are playing the long game with Lew and Parker, and that makes a lot of sense. But until somebody else from this group actually gets on the field and makes a play, this rookie class is riding on Howell’s back.
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More on the Bengals
- Boye Mafe’s 88.0 PFF Grade in Miami Is the Best Sign Yet for the Bengals’ Defense
- Joe Burrow Fires Back at a Reporter’s Heat Question After the Bengals Survive Miami
- 3 Overreactions to Bengals’ Win Over Dolphins, Including Samaje Perine Taking Chase Brown’s Job
- Bengals Snap Counts Show Erick All Jr. Earning the Bigger Role Zac Taylor Promised
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This story was originally published October 12, 2026 at 3:18 PM.