Rueben Bain Jr., Miami Hurricanes, NFL Scouting Combine
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Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. at NFL Scouting Combine.
The Miami Hurricanes are coming off a remarkable season highlighted by a College Football Playoff National Championship appearance, despite the loss to Indiana.
One of the main reasons the Hurricanes were able to navigate a treacherous playoff path that included Texas A&M, Ohio State and Ole Miss was a dominating defense.
And perhaps the star of that group was none other than junior defensive end Rueben Bain Jr.
Bain quickly became one of the most talked-about players in the country after each passing week, wrecking opposing backfields and making quarterbacks uncomfortable.
Now Bain has his sights set on turning pro, awaiting the 2026 draft. But first, he’ll compete in the NFL Scouting Combine on February 26.
More Miami Hurricanes on Heavy: Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. Gets Brutal Draft Prediction Ahead of Top-5 Buzz
Rueben Bain Jr. Facing Arm Length Scrutiny at NFL Combine
As much hype as there has been around Bain following his monster season at Miami, scrutiny continues to resurface at the combine.
Despite earning Pro Football Focus’ third-ranked edge rusher grade at 92.5 — finishing first in hurries, second in pressures and totaling 10 sacks — the conversation has centered on one thing: his measurements.
Specifically, his arm length.
Bain measured in at 30 7/8-inch arms with a 77 1/2-inch wingspan, according to CBS Sports. Since 1999, only two other edge rushers have measured shorter: Cashius Howell (30 1/4) and Nate Williams (30 5/8), per Underdog.
As ESPN’s Matt Miller pointed out, Bain’s arm length would be more than four inches shorter than 2025 sack leader Myles Garrett.
Warren Sharp added another statistic that NFL teams won’t ignore:
“No player with arms less than 31″ has recorded double-digit sacks in any season over the last 20 years.”
Warren Sharp
Rueben Bain will have the shortest arms (30 7/8″) for a 1st round pick at EDGE in the last 20 years!
No player with arms less than 31″ has double-digit sacks in any season for the last 20 straight seasons
Will Measurements Impact Rueben Bain’s 2026 NFL Draft Stock?
This will obviously be something to monitor as teams finalize evaluations leading up to April’s draft.
But it’s hard to deny the production, skill set and athleticism Bain displayed at Miami — and how that could translate to the NFL.
“You can overthink this or you can draft a perennial Pro Bowler,” 247Sports’ Gaby Urrutia said. “Absurd motor with tape that speaks for itself against some of the top tackles in this draft and in college football. Rueben Bain is a DOG.”
Here’s what Bain had to say about his draft projection, along with why he’s different than others, while speaking to the media at the combine.
“No matter where I go, I don’t really care for the number. I just know that whatever team ends up picking me is going to get the best out of me — going to get the best player in the draft in my opinion,” Bain said.
Despite the measurable concern, Bain has remained high on draft boards for months. Whether that shifts after the combine remains to be seen.
The most telling moment will come April 23 during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. If Bain were to slide, it would make the concern obvious. Because on tape — and off the field — he’s left little doubt about what type of player he can and will be.