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Miami Hurricanes edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. entered the year in the conversation for the first non-quarterback off the board in April. He immediately rewarded his supporters with a game-clinching, dominant performance over Notre Dame in the season opener. He found seven pressures against Florida and 10 more two weeks later against Florida State.
Bain remained productive -- even without elite sack numbers -- and has the film to back it up. He's probably been in the top 10, if not the top 15, of every mock draft you've read this season.
All of that was thrust into uncertainty on Wednesday.
Rueben Bain Jr. might be positionless
On Wednesday morning, The Athletic's Dane Brugler suggested that Bain's size could become a problem. Most notably, he pointed to his 30 3/4" arms, which should rightfully scare teams viewing him as a blue-chip edge rusher.
Players have found success with below-average arm lengths on the edge. Trey Hendrickson is a star, Nik Bonitto is the best edge rusher on an elite defense, and James Pearce Jr. is making a strong impression as a rookie. Each of them has over an inch on Bain.
It's the kind of outlier that scares teams off, but Bain has some off-ramps to salvage his stock. Part of Bain's appeal was his versatility. According to Pro Football Focus, he logged over 100 snaps over the B-gap in 2023. While he's largely stayed on the edge in the years since, his flashes inside are enticing, and at 277 pounds, he may be tasked with transitioning inside at the next level. Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell, at approximately 250 pounds, doesn't have that luxury.
MORE: Cashius Howell 2026 NFL Draft scouting report: How much does arm length matter?
Nevertheless, there is now a real conversation about whether Bain's stock is higher as an edge rusher or a defensive tackle. There's a cloudy projection in both -- Bain's experience and technique points to staying on the boundary, but the guys across from him getting bigger or stronger will limit his upside. Of course, he'll be an undersized interior lineman, too, but there's always a spot for pass rushers, even without full-time snaps.
At over 275 pounds, Bain should also hold up better against the run than most edge rusher prospects. Mass is still mass, and that could lend itself to an early-down role on the edge.
Bain's 25.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks are marks in his favor, and he established that his 2024 injury wasn't impacting his 2025 play. His blend of size, speed, and hand usage will still land him in Round 1 for several teams.
But the history of sub-32-inch arms is ugly on the edge and impossible to ignore. It will impact his stock and, likely, role, at the next level.
Heading into the pre-draft circuit, Bain projects as a hybrid lineman who can take early-down snaps on the edge and move inside for passing downs. While that may implement a lower ceiling than we anticipated in August, there's plenty in this profile to convince a team to pull the trigger a little later in Round 1.
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