Burning NFL Draft Question: Could DE Rueben Bain Jr. Fall to Lions?

NFL teams have all been made aware of unfortunate automobile tragedy from 2024.

Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza (15) passes the ball under pressure by Miami Hurricanes DE Rueben Bain Jr. (4) | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Miami Hurricanes defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. was unfortunately involved in a traffic collision back in 2024. The accident resulted in the death of a 22-year-old female college student three months later.

All 32 NFL teams were already aware of the incident. It is not expected, at this point, that Bain Jr. will see his draft stock fall as a direct result of the car accident.

As Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer explained, "I think the easiest way to answer why it didn’t come out earlier is that, for teams, it wasn’t going to impact where he would be drafted. After I heard about it in February, only a couple of teams raised it with me when discussing Bain, and those I raised it with basically said there was an explanation."

The 21-year-old has been willing to discuss the matter with teams, which have naturally questioned him regarding his past, both on and off the field.

"Much of that explanation came out in Ollie Connolly’s story on Sunday. The one lingering question teams had was why, given that the accident was at 4 a.m. ET, Bain wasn’t administered a field sobriety or breathalyzer test," writes Breer. "For what it’s worth, Bain’s mother, Lachande Thompson, is a veteran correctional officer at the Everglades Correctional Institution in Miami-Dade County. And Bain has maintained with teams that he doesn’t drink."

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes expressed, when asked about Bain Jr. at his pre-draft media session, "We’ve known that for a while, so that doesn’t really change anything from our standpoint.”

It is not expected that Bain Jr. could fall into the Lions lap. Detroit currently sits at pick No. 17 in the upcoming draft.

Presently, Bain Jr. is projected by many pundits to land in the top 10 of the draft. In Peter Schrager's first mock draft, he was projected to be selected with the No. 8 overall pick by the New Orleans Saints.

"I don’t think it’s going to change much as far as where Bain lands next Thursday in the first round. In fact, his arm length, 30 7/8-inch arms, is probably a bigger issue for teams at this point," writes Breer. "Mostly, again, because none of this information was new to them."

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