The Cincinnati Bengals‘ defensive rookies had a promising debut overall in the team’s 16-14 victory over the Detroit Lions to kick off the preseason.
Cincinnati‘s second-round draft selection this year was defensive end Cashius Howell. Coming off a prolific season for Texas A&M in 2025, Howell has looked the part so far in camp. He was fairly disruptive once again versus the Lions.
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One criticism would be how much he relied on his spin move during the night. Overall, he looked quick, powerful, and like a player who is holding up much better against the run than what I saw at times for Texas A&M last season.
Howell will have every opportunity to be an impactful player on this revamped Bengals defense.
Unfortunately, we did not see the Bengals’ third-round draft selection, Tacario Davis. He was held up for precautionary measures against the Lions. It doesn’t appear to be anything serious, with Taylor even stating that he would have played if it were a regular-season game.
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Hopefully we get to see Davis in action on Saturday night this week. His length and straight-line speed have flashed during camp a few different times.
Arguably the best performance from the defensive draft class during the first preseason game came from Landon Robinson. The Bengals’ seventh-round draft selection from the Naval Academy. Robinson was in on one sack during the night, and would have had a second one if it weren’t for a holding penalty. He lined up in multiple spots, generated pressure, and showed his power to hold his ground against the running game.
It is a deep defensive tackle room right now, but I don’t see how the Bengals can risk trying to get Robinson to the practice squad. He is one of those guys that you just know will be in the NFL for 10 years. Elite character and work ethic.
