Coming off a historic year for Texas A&M (11-1, 7-1 SEC), the Aggies will enter the College Football Playoff as the No. 7 seed and host No. 10 Miami (10-2) on Saturday, Dec. 20 in what should be a sold-out Kyle Field. Head coach Mike Elko has accomplished several goals in his second season at the helm after signing a six-year contract extension late last month.
Texas A&M’s roster is filled with veterans on both sides, including senior edge player Cashius Howell, who had an SEC-high 11.5 sacks after transferring from Bowling Green less than two years ago and is now considered a potential NFL Draft first-rounder, which is an incredible story for those of us who have followed his journey since entering College Station last offseason.
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Howell’s increased athleticism and strength after working with S&C Tommy Moffitt in the offseason were largely responsible for his sacks and overwhelming offensive tackles. At the same time, his pass-rushing arsenal has been enhanced.
However, draft analysts didn’t like his projected 30-inch arm length. Aside from one lagging attribute, Cassius Howell is one of the best prospects in the draft, and Pro Football Focus agrees. In PFF analyst Trevor Sikkema’s latest NFL mock draft, Howell is projected to go No. 6 overall to the Washington Commanders, just below Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain, who will face the Aggies next weekend.
Through 12 games this season, Howell has a defensive grade of 80, a run defense grade of 71.7 and a pass rush grade of 90.4 per PFF.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: PFF projects Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell to be first-round draft pick