How NFL Front Offices Value Arm Length and Its Impact on Miami’s Star EDGE
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INDIANAPOLIS - There aren’t many complaints surrounding Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. as an NFL Draft prospect. He’s beyond powerful, fairly quick for his 6-foot-3, 275-pound frame and has a wide array of pass-rushing moves to go along with it.
The only knock against Bain as a prospect through the early stages of the NFL Draft process and over the last few months has been the length of his arms. Historically, that’s a physical trait that's gone against many top-tier edge rushers looking to make a name for themselves in the NFL. The same could very well be the case for Bain.
For teams selecting in the Top 10, a range where Bain could very realistically land, it’s hard not to consider arm length a valuable asset for any player, even outside of the defensive end position.
Take the Tennessee Titans, for example. The Titans hold the fourth spot in the 2026 draft and could very well look to add more talent off the edge. While stacking Bain up against the likes of David Bailey from Texas Tech and Arvell Reese from Ohio State, while also considering Tennessee's defensive scheme that commands length on the defensive front, his physical traits could send him down the draft board.
“Arm length is always going to be key, especially with a team like us that plays more of a zone style,” Tennessee Titans Head Coach Robert Saleh said at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday. “Those long arms close up passing windows and all the different things that we asked them to do. So it's really every position. Arm length is always a big deal.”
Saleh's not the only one saying this. Arm length certainly does appear to be a big deal.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t good players with short arms, however. Bain has absolutely been tabbed as one of the players with short arms who could be an immediate difference maker, along with Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell, Alabama’s LT Overton and Michigan’s Derrick Moore. All of those players are viewed as consensus top-100 prospects.
“In terms of guys with shorter arms, and there’s a few in this draft who are really, really good players, … but how well (do) they play with the length they have,” Washington Commanders General Manager Adam Peters said.
Most front office members have made it clear that length is a hot commodity. That doesn’t mean that players with short arms, especially pass rushers, are immediately out of value.
Players at the position who lack the length desired by most NFL front offices and coaching staffs can always break that mold or contribute in another way. There’s always the option to kick inside and provide some athletic versatility there, or be imposing enough to make length not matter on the outside.
“In an ideal world, would you love to have a guy with long arms? Yeah, absolutely,” Green Bay Packers head coach Jeff Hafley said. “But I think there's other guys that have short arms and that are really good edge rushers (and) are really good inside.”
The script could easily be flipped in this debate, as well. There are likely more long-armed edge rushers than ones with short arms and it’s very possible that not all of them panned out. More goes into evaluating these players than athletic traits and that plays into Bain’s advantage.
Short-armed players can also play longer by the way they use the rest of their body. This is a trait that Bain could afford to pick up and hone in on as his professional career gets a kickstart.
“It’s great to have that length, but it’s also how they use it and how it comes out on the tape,” Peters said. “ Some guys can excel with shorter arms by doing things differently, but ideally, you want to err on the side of longer.”
Part of the concerns with a short-armed defensive end like Bain could be the ability for them to get dominated by stronger, more athletic offensive tackles. Luckily for Bain, he’s going to be one of the more powerful players at the position, with the chance to fill out more as years pass.
At the same time, getting off blocks and getting shut down immediately at the line of scrimmage has haunted him at moments over the last two seasons.
“Some guys with short arms, they just get eaten up,” Hafley said. “But some guys are so quick where they can get their hands inside first and still disengage.”
Regardless of his arm length, Bain is a physically imposing player. His sheer power alone might be enough to not scare teams away from picking him as early as he’s being projected to land, as well. That being said, the more that NFL front office members weigh in and look at the history of short-armed defensive ends, the concerns that some might have come into question more.
