Since the college season ended, most people believed Miami defensive end Rueben Bain was a lock to be a top 15 pick in the 2026 draft. His dominance throughout last season was impossible to ignore. The tape was littered with impact plays. Yet as the draft draws closer, Bain’s stock seems to be sagging. He isn’t generating the kind of buzz you’d expect from a projected top pick, leading some to wonder if he’s in store for a tumble down boards on opening night. Could that mean the Chicago Bears are in play?
It sounds crazy considering they pick 25th overall. Nobody dared believe Bain would be anywhere close to that range. However, the fact that Bears general manager Ryan Poles showed up at Miami’s pro day suggests he has knowledge that the possibility exists. He has a habit of attending pro days of players the Bears intend to draft if given the opportunity. Does he think Bain is there for the taking? There is growing evidence that the stars might be aligning for it to happen.
Rueben Bain can’t escape the measurements.
One of the primary talking points surrounding the pass rusher is his arm length. It was always clear his arms were shorter than average, but things took a turn when it was revealed they were barely over 30 inches long. That is exceedingly short. Remember, 33 is considered the preferred minimum at the pro level. The highest a pass rusher with arms below 32 inches has been drafted in the past 20 years was Melvin Ingram, who went 18th in 2012. NFL.com draft expert Chad Reuter provided more context to this situation.
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Barnett was an incredibly productive pass rusher in college, racking up 33 sacks in three seasons. He still only went 14th in the draft. Robinson was labeled as the next Micah Parsons by many going into his draft. He didn’t go until the 21st pick. Neither player has had what you’d call a dominant career to this point, though both have been good. None of this helps Bain’s case for going high in the 1st round. Nothing has indicated he can be an exception to the rule, and his conduct ahead of the draft isn’t helping.
Bain has avoided testing like the plague.
The Miami standout has sworn up and down that the measurements mean nothing. Watch the tape. That is fine. However, he hasn’t exactly done the best job of assuaging fears. Not only did Rueben Bain skip athletic testing at the scouting combine last month, but he also at his pro day on Monday. While he may think it doesn’t matter, such actions lead NFL teams to think he might be trying to hide something. Marvin Harrison Jr. did the same thing in 2024. Though he still went #4 overall, his career to this point has been disappointing. Don’t think for a second teams don’t have that in the back of their minds, especially since Bain isn’t near the athlete Harrison was.
All of this suits the Bears just fine. Picking 25th means they incur far less risk than a team in the top 15. They can afford to take the gamble on Bain because the pick value is far lower. If he doesn’t pan out, it hurts, but it doesn’t cripple you. Still, players like him, with his never-say-die playing style, tend to produce at the NFL level. Bain doesn’t have the highest ceiling of players in this class, but he should be able to produce immediately. For a playoff hopeful team like the Bears, that is good.
