The New England Patriots have no greater imperatives this offseason than improving their offensive line and edge positions. They have a clear necessity to both improve their sack prevention and increase their sack production.
Those requirements translate to three primary positions overall: offensive tackle, edge, and offensive guard. One draft expert projects the Patriots to take one of the draft's premier edge rushers in the first round in Cashius Howell of Texas A&M.
There's no doubt that the edge unit is one of the top two positional units of need for the Patriots' 2026 offseason. The other has to be the offensive line, and that should actually be No. 1. If the Patriots can't protect the Franchise, aka Drake Maye, as they didn't in 2025 well enough, they'll never reach the NFL's summit and win the Lombardi Trophy.
Regardless, the edge is the other top 2 units of need. Both revolve around sacks, preventing them by the O-line and producing them by the edges. They both failed to do enough in 2025, and in the showdown, the Super Bowl, they, along with an injury to Maye and two turnovers, were the difference-makers.
The Patriots must address the edge early and often in the NFL draft
How the NFL draft board falls always impacts which position of need you address at which time. The need for an offensive tackle is the No. 1 need of the Patriots. If a top-rated tackle is available, that's the man they should select. If not, and there's a top edge who gets sacks available, that should be the selection.
Draft expert Todd McShay has the Patriots addressing the edge in the first round with pick No. 31.
“I f—ing love Cashius Howell. 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...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.
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 is one of the best in the business. He knows his stuff, and Howell may just be the Patriots' pick in April's first round. the 6'2.5", 253-pound Howell had a top 2025 season for Texas A&M. He notched 11.5 sacks in 13 games, nearly one per. That's exactly what you're looking for.
Cashius Howell has a familar issue that should be ignored
While Cashius Howell had only 36 total tackles in 2025, he also recorded an impressive six passes defended, in addition to his sack total. That's interesting, since one of the raps on Howell that should be very familiar to Patriot Nation is that he, like 2025's first-round pick, Will Campbell, is being discounted because of shorter arms.
"The concern is Howell’s 30 1/4-inch arm measurement — the shortest of any edge rusher since at least 1999 — could impact his ability to create separation in the NFL. Howell, though, doesn’t expect it to be a problem since it’s never been a problem for him."
Like the Patriots dismissed those stat-geek measurements with Campbell, they should do the same with Howell, if no top tackle is available in the first round, and he is.
The proof is in the pudding. He notched 11.5 sacks in the SEC, the nation's best college football conference, and the NFL's best proving ground for players. (He also ran a top 4.59 forty at the Combine.) If you did well in the SEC, you'll have a solid chance to do so in the NFL, as well.
That Howell has McShay's endorsement is all the more reason why the Patriots should brush off the arm length issue again and take Howell in the first round, if a tackle is not a viable option. Howell gets sacks, and he bats down passes.
Those are play-enders, and if his arms are short and he still has those attributes, ignore it.