When a player receives a ringing endorsement from a familiar and trusted source, it carries extra weight. For the Cincinnati Bengals' second-round draft pick, Cashius Howell, that endorsement came from someone who knows greatness when he sees it—his former strength and conditioning coach.

The Bengals selected Howell with the No. 41 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, continuing a growing pipeline from Texas A&M to Cincinnati. Howell joins fellow Aggies Shemar Stewart and McKinnley Jackson, making it three straight draft classes where the Bengals have grabbed a defensive lineman from the same program. The connection runs deep: Bengals head coach Zac Taylor spent time as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M nearly two decades ago, and that relationship continues to pay dividends.

But the real story behind this pick is the glowing comparison that came from Tommy Moffitt, Texas A&M's director of football strength and conditioning. Moffitt is a veteran in the field, with stops at Tennessee and Miami in the 1990s before spending over two decades at LSU. He's worked with countless NFL greats, including Peyton Manning—and more recently, Bengals stars Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase during their college days.

When the Bengals' scouting department reached out to Moffitt for his take on Howell, the response was music to their ears. Bengals assistant general manager Mike Potts shared the insight with The Athletic: "I don't think Cashius Howell was quite the player he is now when he just got there out of Bowling Green. Their strength staff as well, Tommy Moffitt was their guy at LSU forever, so he has great comparisons. He coached Peyton Manning back in the day. He coached, obviously, Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase, and a lot of these guys. And another nugget from him that I don't think he'd be upset with sharing on Cashius' drive. He compared him to some of those great players in terms of work ethic and drive."

For Howell, stepping into a Bengals locker room filled with elite talent is no small task. But hearing that his work ethic stacks up alongside Burrow and Chase—two of the NFL's most dedicated competitors—is the kind of validation that sets the stage for a promising career. Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Howell grew up a Chiefs fan, but he's now ready to help the Bengals chase their own championship dreams.