David Pollack Names 'Biggest Steal' of Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft

Plenty of blue chip college football talent heard their names called in Round 1 of the NFL Draft, but one first rounder could be the steal of the year.

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The outgoing generation of elite college football talent are having their dreams realized as they hear their names called in the 2026 NFL Draft, with the first 32 stars being called up this week, and more to come.

Of all the blue chip players to go in the opening round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night, the one to watch could be Miami’s former star edge rusher.

That’s according to veteran college football analyst David Pollack, who has stated that former Hurricanes defender Rueben Bain, Jr., the No. 15 overall selection by Tampa Bay, could be the single most important steal of the first night.

NFL Draft Round 1 Thoughts

Biggest steal: Rueben Bain Jr. to the Bucs (#15)

Might’ve been a reach: Carnell Tate to the Titans (#4)

Name you will hear the most as a rookie: KC Concepcion (#24). The Browns are desperate for playmakers! pic.twitter.com/pKxxsTVFEc

— David Pollack (@davidpollack47) April 24, 2026

On SI was a big fan of Bain

Bain didn’t surprise anyone by emerging as a first round draft selection, earning recognition as one of the 10 best players in this draft, according to expert opinion.

“Our evaluation is choosing to buy into his strength, motor, and well-developed hands as a pass rusher,” NFL Draft On SI analyst Justin Melo said leading into the event, naming Bain as the No. 6 player in the class.

He added of the now-Bucs edge rusher: “Bain generates rare power with first step explosiveness as a rusher to physically dominate offensive linemen.”

Bain was the subject of pre-draft chatter

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So why the “steal” moniker if Bain is so highly regarded? Because coming into draft season, there was some debate around his perceived physical shortcomings.

Thought to be a relative weakness coming out of school, Bain officially measured 30⅞ inch arms, a one percentile outcome, during the pre draft process, according to MockDraftable figures.

NFL scouts weigh measurables like arm length for edge rushers seriously because those figures largely correlate with leverage and disengagement from blocks more so than for other positions, where any size advantage in the trenches could prove decisive.

For context, edge rushers ideally measure around 33 inches or longer in arm length, leaving Bain as the third-shortest for a defensive end prospect at any combine.

The former Hurricanes defender also has the shortest arms of any first round edge rusher in 23 drafts.

Add to that a 77⅜ inch wingspan and a 9⅛ inch hand size, numbers reflecting the 10th percentile and ninth percentile, respectively, and it was enough to give some of the draft’s talking heads pause around penciling Bain in as a top 10 selection.

Length of this kind is particularly highly regarded by NFL scouts in their pre draft evaluation, and Bain had scored negatively for NFL teams, even if that apparent concern still never dampened the general optimism around the Miami product as a very early pick.

A serious concern?

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Bain’s college tape told the story of a hugely gifted pass rusher, but those other numbers will help make him a kind of test case for whether production can outweigh measurable concerns, balancing high floor talent with risk of translation issues against pro length.

Despite that talk, Bain’s stock always remained strong overall as a projected early round selection. Now, it’s his turn to prove those doubts wrong and live up to that first round billing.