Draft expert's rankings suggest Panthers could improbably land Rueben Bain Jr.

In 2024, the Carolina Panthers were endlessly linked to Abdul Carter, the top edge rusher in the NFL draft. Eventually, catching fire at the end of the year, they played their way out of his range. He went third, and Carolina picked eighth.

This year, that need still remains. They haven't found a dominant edge rusher. They're picking 19th after making the playoffs, which essentially means they're out of range for the top edge rushers. This time, that's, according to most, Rueben Bain Jr.

Most mocks have him long gone by the time the Panthers get on the board. What if he weren't? One insider's prospect rankings suggest it's not totally implausible.

Could the Panthers draft Rueben Bain Jr.?

It doesn't usually go this way, but the ranking of prospects can sometimes provide some insight as to how they'll be drafted. Certain positions, namely QB, get overdrafted, but teams are starting to get smarter about all of it.

So if ESPN insider Field Yates' rankings are correct, then the Panthers will be choosing between Kenyon Sadiq and CJ Allen, which is not a bad spot for this team to be in.

However, if the rankings are similar but a few things go differently, it's not impossible to envision Rueben Bain Jr. wearing a Panthers uniform.

Yates ranked him 15th, which is a lot lower than others. "While some view Bain as a top-10 pick, there are split opinions among NFL evaluators given his frame," Yates said in his analysis.

He continued, "Scouts have questions about his length, speed off the edge and what type of front he would best fit in at the next level. With that being said, he consistently made college quarterbacks uncomfortable and is only 21 years old."

Heading into the national championship, Bain Jr. has 68 pressures and 8.5 sacks. If Yates' logic applies when draft night comes, it wouldn't take much more of a slide to get Bain in Charlotte.

Plus, if Bain does fall anywhere close to where the Panthers are drafting, GM Dan Morgan might pull the trigger on a trade to move up and nab the edge rusher this team has needed for years. Is it likely? No, but according to Yates, it's not completely impossible.

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