NFL draft prospect edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr.
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CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA - MARCH 23: Rueben Bain Jr. #4 of the Miami Hurricanes participates in the 2026 Miami Pro Day at Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility on March 23, 2026 in Coral Gables, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
The Kansas City Chiefs are exhausting all research to prepare for the 2026 NFL Draft.
They will look to round their roster out with the nine picks they have, which includes four in the top 100. The Chiefs have already hosted several prospects on top-30 visits.
There are a number of different ways they could go with their first selection at No. 9 overall. Kansas City has the flexibility to take the best player available when it hits the clock, thanks to a successful free agency period.
NFL Analyst and Former All-Pro DT Gerald McCoy Thinks Edge Rusher Rueben Bain Jr. Would Flourish With Kansas City Chiefs
Bain has been linked to the Chiefs with the ninth overall pick for the past several months. An edge rusher is arguably their biggest remaining need, and Bain is one of the best in this year’s draft class. McCoy took to X to state that he believes Bain would thrive under the tutelage of Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen.
“Rueben Bain will be just fine with the right coaches. The statement I made about coaches worried about it is because they don’t know how to coach it. Send him to Joe Cullen and guarantee he’ll be all-pro. BUT everybody ain’t Joe Cullen.”
Gerald McCoy
Rueben Bain will be just fine with the right coaches. The statement I made about coaches worried about it is because they don’t know how to coach it. Send him to Joe Cullen and guarantee he’ll be all-pro. BUT everybody ain’t Joe Cullen 🤷🏾♂️
When referencing some coaches being worried, McCoy is talking about Bain’s short arm length and overall size. That has been really the only knock on Bain, with many believing the issue is overblown. Bain dismissed those criticisms while speaking at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
“I didn’t hear it until later in the year, but it kind of surprised me because I never heard it all my life,” Bain said. “I don’t give it the time of day, honestly.”
Cullen would definitely get the most out of Bain. He is a longtime defensive line coach, and received multiple defensive coordinator interviews this offseason. McCoy knows him well as Cullen coached him from 2014-2015 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Bain has all the physical gifts you want in a pass rusher, and utilizes them by playing with a high motor. Last season at Miami he recorded 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. If Bain is available when the Chiefs hit the clock, they will be hard-pressed to pass on him.
Other Potential Edge Rusher Prospects for Chiefs
David Bailey
GettyTexas Tech edge rusher David Bailey
If Bain isn’t available or Kansas City is higher on someone else, there could be other strong options. Among them is David Bailey, who is also highly athletic and quick coming off the edge. Arvell Reese fits that same profile, and is still filling out his frame at just 20 years old.
Next up are a couple of power guys in Keldric Faulk and Zion Young. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has traditionally favored bigger edge rushers, so both of those guys could be in play for the Chiefs. Both measure in at 6-foot-6, with Faulk weighing in at 276 pounds and Young at 262 pounds.
Bain’s teammate at Miami, Akheem Mesidor, has picked up some hype as of late. He is well polished after a six-year collegiate career, and possesses a nice blend of speed and power. Cashius Howell, who is a Kansas City native that played at Rockhurst High School, posted 25 sacks during his last three seasons at Texas A&M.