Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the New England Patriots' projected first-round draft pick just measured in at the NFL Combine with some of the shortest arms in history.
Much has been made of the Patriots' potential interest in Texas A&M Aggies edge rusher Cashius Howell.
Howell is an interesting prospect as his measurables are less than ideal at the edge rusher position. He officially came in at 6-foot-2½, 253 pounds, with a truly shocking arm length of just 30¼ inches.
To put this in perspective, 96% of all edge rushers in NFL Combine history have measured in with longer arms, according to NFLDraftBuzz.com.
This isn’t a Will Campbell situation where he is slightly under the ideal benchmark; Howell is miles away.
Despite his lack of stature, he was the SEC’s leading sack getter among all draft-eligible pass-rushers.
Leading NFL Draft expert Todd McShay is pounding the table for Howell as one of his favorite players in the entire class, saying his film draws comparisons to future Hall of Famer Von Miller.
“I f—ing love Cashius Howell,” McShay said on 'The Todd McShay Show'. “Quote that. Retweet that. I am in love with Cashius Howell. I’m not saying he’s Von Miller, but I watched the Von Miller tape from Texas A&M, and I got little tiny vibes.”
He acknowledged that the arm length is going to be a real concern in the draft process, but he believes his potential is off the charts.
“If the floor for Cashius Howell is Nick Herbig, you’re not pumped that you spent a first-round draft pick on him, but it’s not a horrible floor,” McShay said. “I think throw out the floor. I don’t understand why people aren’t talking about him like maybe the third-best edge in this class. I think he’s better than (Akheem) Mesidor.”
McShay then reminded viewers that another player went through this process with short arms and turned out alright. The player was Micah Parsons.