The New England Patriots need to improve their pass rush and could look to do so in the upcoming NFL Draft.
The Patriots had just 35 sacks last season, and lost one of their more productive players in K'Lavon Chaisson. They signed Dre'Mont Jones, but the group could use even more help. FOX Sports' Joel Klatt projected the Patriots would select Texas A&M defensive end Cashius Hoiwell in his latest mock draft.
"I'm going to go Cashius Howell on the edge right here at 31 to New England," Klatt said on Monday. "Howell's gotten this knock for short arms. Just watch the tape. The guy was one of the more productive pass rushers in all of college football in a tough league. Howell, for me, makes a lot of sense with the Patriots, and in particular with (Mike) Vrabel, who's going to like a guy like Howell."
Howell's 30 1/4 inch arm length is "among the shortest in recent history for players drafted at his position," per NBC Sports Boston's Phil Perry. The arm length may be a concern, but the stats are not. He led the Mid-American Conference in sacks with 9.5 in 2023, before transferring to Texas A&M. He has 25 sacks in the last three seasons and 33 tackles for a loss.
He can consistently get in the opposing backfield and make an impact. As for the concerns about arm length, Howell knows that it has not held him back before.
“I feel like production has never been a real issue for me,” Howell said in an interview with Pro Football Talk at the NFL Combine. “Like I said, I’m going to do everything in my power to change that narrative.”
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