Orlando Brown Jr. Thinks Potential Bengals Draft Pick Will 'Transition Easily' At Next Level

Rueben Bain Jr. may be matching up with another junior on the Bengals soon. The Miami (FL) product is in play to get selected by Cincinnati at No. 10 in next week's 2026 NFL Draft, prompting a tape run through from current Bengals star offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. that he talked about with Kay Adams.

The Bengals have landed Bain in plenty of mock drafts so far as a consensus top-10 player in the 2026 class. He's earned that status despite checking in with atypical measurements compared to most star NFL defensive ends.

Bain's arms sit at 30 7/8'', which tracks to be the shortest arms for a first-round pick at the edge in the last 20 years. No player with arms less than 31 inches has double-digit sacks in any NFL season for the last 20 seasons.

Still, he posted elite numbers across 16 games last season (54 tackles, 15.5 TFLs, 9.5 sacks, one INT, one PBU, and a FF).

Bain Arm Length Breakdown

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

Brown likes what he's seen on tape.

"Yeah, he's a great player. Man, you know, I think he's gonna come to this level and be able to transition really easily," Brown said on Up & Adams. "You know, he's got a unique set of skills. Man, even with his, you know, disadvantage and arm length, he does a great job getting up on you. And so sometimes, man, half the battle is just being able to make the most out of the deck of cards you've been dealt.

"As somebody that's a limited athlete, that resonates with me, and I understand what it's like to be in that position. You see all the talk about his arm length, but at the end of the day, he's gonna be able to come in the league and be just fine."

Brown expanded more on arm length and how to overcome it.

"So when, you look at the prototypical defensive ends across the NFL, you know the closest person that comes to my mind, like the players that come to my mind, the Rueben Bain players, and they're still all the same level players like Brandon Graham and James Harrison. They aren't necessarily the biggest, they aren't necessarily the longest guys, but they're strong, they play hard, they're physical, and they're high IQ football players, and play with high energy, man, and high motors. And so I think Rueben Bain falls into those categories."

Check out the full breakdown from Brown below:

4x Pro Bowler Orlando Brown Jr. knows what it's like to be doubted for measurables... and he sees himself in Rueben Bain Jr:

"Make the most out of the deck of cards you've been dealt… [he's going to] be just fine"@ZEUS__57 | @ruebenbainjr | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/sMeXdk4xtM
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) April 13, 2026

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