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Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell could be a Buffalo Bills draft target, according to a leading Bills expert.

The Buffalo Bills could be eyeing a high-upside edge rusher to help replace Joey Bosa, but one intriguing draft target comes with a major concern that could complicate the decision. The Buffalo Bills need help in their pass rush, especially after the free agent departure of veteran Bosa. With 36 sacks, the Bills ranked 20th out of the 32 NFL teams. One leading Bills analyst has a target for the Bills in the draft to fill that role.

Cashes Howell played just two seasons for the Texas A&M Aggies after starting his college career with three years at Bowling Green. Howell led the Mid-American Conference in 2023 with 9.5 sacks, and earned All-America honors in his final season at Texas A&M with 11.5 sacks.

He finished his college career with an impressive 27 sacks.

“His athletic twitch, play speed and violent demeanor make for the type of package you bet on at the position,” wrote draft expert Dane Brugler of The Athletic. “At worst, he should be a designated pass rusher, with the ceiling of a versatile NFL starter (like Haason Reddick) who can be moved around the front.”

So what is the main red flag with Howell? The primary strike against him appears to be his undersized arm measurements.

Howell’s Arm Length Limits Ability to Get Past NFL Tackles

“The 30.25-inch arms measured at the Combine are historically short for the position, ranking third-shortest in combine history for edge defenders,” according to a scouting report on Howell by NFL Draft Buzz. “That limited reach compounds every hand-fighting issue: NFL tackles with length will be able to lock onto his chest plate and steer him wherever they want.”

So what does the Bills analyst, Locked On Bills host Joe Marino, see in Howell, and if the Bills were to draft the 23-year-old from Kansas City, Missouri, where would they take him? The Bills own the 26th overall pick, but do not pick again until the third round at No. 91.

Howell Considered a Mixed Bag at Edge Rusher

According to Marino, Howell “certainly provides that bursty, bendy presence that is currently missing from this Bills pass rush group,” the analyst said on Thursday’s edition of Locked On Bills.

“He can get off the ball quick. He can bend around the corner. He can flatten and he can finish. All of that is really good and there’s a lot of variety with his rush. I enjoyed seeing the different ways that he can beat offensive linemen. He’s got a ghost move. He has an inside spin. He has a rip move,” Marino said on the program.

But the red flags?

“Length and mass. He’s missing both,” Marino said. “Those are very limiting factors where he’s not going to set edges for you against the run. In fact, if he’s on the field and he’s the edge setter, I’m sure that opposing teams will be very excited about that and look to run right at him and dare him to be able to be firm and anchor and hunker down and set a firm edge.”

Nonetheless, Marino predicts that Howell could be drafted “in that 25-40 range. It might be the Bills. And there would be a lot to be excited about, but there is that other side of the coin that you have to bring to the table to understand the full situation.”

Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. He was a sports editor and writer at The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo, Japan, covering Japan Pro Baseball, boxing, sumo and other sports. More about Jonathan Vankin