Is Miami's Rueben Bain Jr. worthy of a top-5 pick in 2026 NFL draft?

Few NFL draft prospects are slam dunks, and sometimes even top prospects have more questions than most. Bain is a unique case. Rueben Bain is a great player, but will face some scrutiny.

Dec 20, 2025; College Station, TX, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. (4) rushes the line past Texas A&M Aggies tight end Nate Boerkircher (87) and offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III (60) during the game between the Aggies and the Hurricanes at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Rueben Bain’s hot start to 2025 followed by an overall excellent season on a really good Miami defense has certainly helped his draft stock. He is a stout edge player with a unique build, versatility, and a well developed pass rush plan. There are many reasons to be bullish on Bain’s transition to professional football. 

Rarely do you see a college pass rusher show a bag quite like Bain’s. It wouldn’t take many games of Bain’s film to find his ability to win on the edge using the swipe, ghost, hump, cross-chop, and speed rush. So why, at this point in the draft process, isn’t he locked into a top-five selection?

Historical Comparison

Jan 21, 2018; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long (56) celebrates on the bench against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

At 6-3 and 270 pounds, there aren’t many players with Bain’s build in the NFL. The most recent example of a similar body type is Chris Long. Long was the second overall selection in the 2008 NFL draft, which remains a possibility for Bain, but he never became the three-down edge rusher the St. Louis Rams hoped for. 

That said, Long was a longtime successful NFL pass rusher and finished his career with two Super Bowl rings. In a way, the Rams hit on a good player, but they didn’t find the Hall of Fame, multidimensional, transformative defensive talent they were seeking. 

Size & Athleticism

Chris Long’s explosiveness in athletic testing was impressive, and Bain will need to show that ability at the NFL combine. In a perfect world, these metrics wouldn’t make or break a player’s draft stock, but the reality is that they often do. 

The Jaguars famously bet on Travon Walker’s explosive athletic traits over Aidan Hutchinson, despite Walker needing a position change at the NFL level. Bain doesn’t show elite speed on tape, so his game is more centered around strength and power. We’ve seen players with similar body types bulk up and slide inside in recent seasons (e.g., Adetomiwa Adebawore).

Miami’s Pass Rush

Dec 20, 2025; College Station, TX, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor (3) rushes the line during the game between the Aggies and the Hurricanes at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Another factor working against Bain is that he is the product of an excellent Miami defense. The question for NFL scouting departments is whether Bain is the driver of this unit’s success, or simply one piece of a dominant front. 

Akheem Mesidor and Ahmad Moten are both NFL-caliber players on the defensive line, and Keionte Scott added five sacks from the slot corner position. This is undeniably a strong Miami defense. That being said, Bain brings a pass-rush plan that few college players possess. The remaining question is how much NFL teams will value that skill set.