Cincinnati Bengals rookie defensive end Cashius Howell has seen plenty of growth in Cincinnati's defense throughout training camp.Thursday's joint practice against the Chicago Bears was another example of that growth.The Bengals closed the session with a flurry of disruptive plays against star quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears' offense. Myles Murphy generated multiple pressures, the secondary forced takeaways, and Dexter Lawrence recorded an interception as Cincinnati's defense finished the day on a high note. For Howell, the significance went beyond a single productive stretch during practice; the second-round pick believes the Bengals are building the chemistry and mentality they'll need once the regular season begins.Howell Likes What He's SeeingCincinnati Bengals second round pick Cashius Howell speaks with media during the 2026 NFL Draft, Saturday, April 25, 2026, at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect"To where we are this year, I feel like we definitely took a step in the right direction in regards to just having team camaraderie," Howell said, via Mike Petraglia. "Just making sure that we hype one another up and just all do our 1/11ths."The collective effort showed up late in practice on Thursday."It's very good to see drive-enders like that and just seeing all our guys in the back end making plays, getting interceptions, making sacks as a defensive line and just collectively as a unit just putting it all together," Howell said.Finishing has been an emphasis for the Bengals throughout camp. It's one thing to make plays early in a practice when everyone is fresh, but Cincinnati wants its defense to maintain that level as fatigue becomes a factor.Howell believes Thursday was another piece of evidence that the message is reaching the team."Obviously towards the end of practice, we're all tired," Howell said. "We're all pretty banged up, but it's about taking that next step, catching that second breath and just finishing the job — sealing the deal."One of Howell's best personal rushes of the session helped set up one of the Bengals' most memorable defensive plays. The defensive rookie quickly got into the backfield against Williams on a screen play, forcing the 2025 standout quarterback to hesitate. The pass was eventually tipped, and Lawrence came down with the interception."We were able to get some pretty quick pressure on the quarterback to where he kind of hesitated a little bit," Howell said. "We had got there. We had got somebody in the back end to get a tip on it, and that led to Dex getting his interception."It was an impactful play by Howell, who isn't interested in taking much individual credit for it. He pointed to the entire defense working together as the root cause of the takeaway."Collectively, as a unit, we just all kind of gelled together," Howell said. "We were able to make a good play at the end."Howell was Cincinnati's first selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, No. 41 overall, after a dominant final season at Texas A&M. He's now part of a revamped defensive front that includes Lawrence — and the rookie has continued to flash his pass-rushing ability throughout his first NFL training camp.Thursday was another step.You could clearly sense the energy in the Bengals locker room after that practice and it’s the way the defense finished it that is giving that sense of confidence. Cashius Howell continues to shine. pic.twitter.com/V3xdY1T57I— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) August 20, 2026Sign Up For Our DAILY Newsletter for More Free Coverage of the Cincinnati Bengals Delivered to You DirectlyFor more on the Bengals, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and be sure to check us out on your favorite audio platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Amazon.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow