Bengals Meeting With Elite Edge Rusher Prospect Ahead of 2026 NFL Draft

Cincinnati holds the 10th pick in the first round this month.

Sep 14, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A general view of the helmet of Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (30) during warmups before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The Bengals are locking in a pre-draft visit with projected top 10 pick Rueben Bain Jr. this weekend. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted the visit on Friday morning.

According to the Mock Draft Database's consensus big board, Bain ranks second among edge rushers and seventh overall.

"Miami edge Rueben Bain Jr., fresh off a visit with the Chiefs yesterday, is visiting with the Bengals today, source said. Cincy picks 10th," Rapoport posted on X. 

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Jan 8, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. (4) against the Mississippi Rebels during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Bain is one of the top candidates to land with Cincinnati at a spot that seems like it's dialing into either edge rusher, cornerback, or safety for the Bengals at Pick 10.

The Ringer's Todd McShay revealed that potential crystallization on Thursday.

"If Bain's sitting there at 10, is that their edge? And it certainly could be," McShay said to Breer on "The McShay Show" this week. "But they also could take the other corner. I think Miami at 11 could take a corner. I know Dallas would love to have one, but I don't think either of them (Jermod McCoy or Mansoor Delane) gets to 12. I actually don't know that either of them gets to 11 is the point I'm trying to make."

If Bain falls to Cincinnati, it could be hard to pass up his mix of durability, production, and leadership impact. 

"He's just a great player, great character, great person," Miami radio voice Joe Zagacki told Bengals radio voice Dan Hoard in February. "There's nothing negative about Rueben Bain. I know as we get closer to the draft, everybody will try to shoot holes in his game or his size, or this or that, but he is one of the classiest individuals that's ever played at the University of Miami. Great family, tremendous leadership in that family. He never takes his eye off the ball. And I just think he's going to be a long-time NFL player, because he wants to be great. It's important to him. It's important to him to be a tremendous teammate. And he likes to be coached. There is nothing negative to say about Rueben Bain."

As of this writing, the Mock Draft Database has Bain among the "other" group of most likely Bengals selections at Pick 10. The 6-foot-2, 263-pound tweener is down the board from Caleb Downs (17 mock drafts to the Bengals in the past week), Delane (14), Sonny Styles (seven), and McCoy (five) as the Bengals' most common pick in mock drafts.

There is clear interest there; the big mystery is how far Bain will fall in the top 10.

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