Cashius Howell
Getty
Cashius Howell of the Texas A&M Aggies.
The Detroit Lions are a potential home run swing away from Super Bowl contention, but taking that cut on a wildly expensive trade for a player like Myles Garrett or Maxx Crosby may not be the answer.
Analysts and reporters have floated the Lions as potential suitors for both players over the last month-plus, and the logic is simple: pair a player with the talent of Garrett or Crosby across from Aidan Hutchinson and Detroit’s defense becomes as scary, if not scarier, than its top-five offense. Sprinkle on a little injury luck and watch Dan Campbell inspire the Lions to their first-ever title.
But either player is liable to cost two first-round picks. Questions exist around Crosby’s health, and his play has declined to a degree over the last couple of seasons, as his injury concern has trended up.
Meanwhile, Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry continues to insist that Garrett is not on the block, even despite a head-scratching change to the Defensive Player of the Year’s contract language in late March that appears to serve no purpose except making him easier to trade.
So here the Lions sit, just over three weeks out from the NFL draft, with Hutchinson and newly-inked pass-rusher DJ Wonnum in Detroit on a one-year deal. The Lions own the No. 17 pick in Round 1 and the 50th overall selection in Round 2.
The team needs more help off the edge, but is also in good position to land a quality offensive tackle in the middle of Round 1 to address its biggest offensive need after Taylor Decker’s departure.
With all of that said, Scott Dochterman of The Athletic believes that Texas A&M pass-rusher Cashius Howell could prove the answer for Detroit’s defense.
Elite SEC Defender Last Season, Cashius Howell Offers Unique Complement to Aidan Hutchinson
Cashius Howell
GettyTexas A&M Aggies pass-rusher Cashius Howell.
Dochterman made the case for Howell, who has 26 career sacks at the collegiate level, on Wednesday, April 1.
While Hutchinson is in the mold of J.J. Watt and Howie Long, Howell (6-2 1/2, 253) is sleek but has incredible quickness. He tied Arvell Reese for the second-fastest 10-yard split (1.58 seconds) at the combine among front-seven defenders, and that burst showed frequently last season as he helped lead the Aggies to the College Football Playoff. Howell was the SEC’s defensive player of the year, with 11 sacks and six pass breakups.
As a different style of pass-rusher capable of lining up on either side, Howell could give Detroit options — and opponents headaches. Now, whether Howell slides to the second round (if the Lions select [offensive tackle Monroe] Freeling in Round 1, as we suggest here) remains another question.
Lions’ Best Chance of Landing Cashius Howell to Acquire Offensive Tackle in Free Agency
Taylor Decker
GettyDetroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker.
Detroit’s need at offensive tackle is greater than the one existing at pass-rusher, so if it comes down to one or the other at pick No. 17, the former is likely to win out. But there are pathways for the Lions to fill both needs.
Decker has not yet signed with a team, so Detroit could try to bring him back on a new, less expensive contract. Or the team could look to a player like former Kansas City Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor and move three time All-Pro Penei Sewell from the right side to the left.
If the Lions don’t need a tackle in the middle of the first round, Howell’s acquisition becomes far more likely.
Another option is Detroit could try and trade up. Most mock drafts have Howell going somewhere in the first round, with the most optimistic about his skill set pulling him off the board in the early 20s and some others predicting he will be one of the final picks of Round 1. Occasionally, Howell falls out of the first 32 selections into the second round.
But even if that happens, the Lions aren’t liable to land him with the 50th pick. That would mean, in all likelihood, Detroit would have to package the No. 50 selection with another draft asset in either 2026 or 2027 to leap some 15-20 spots to secure Howell early in Round 2. The next pick the Lions hold after the 50th is No. 118 in Round 4, which by itself may not be enough to get a deal done.