Titans Should Consider Miami Hurricanes Star Defender

The Tennessee Titans might be staring at a future defensive cheat code in the 2026 NFL Draft.

If you’ve been watching the Miami Hurricanes, you’ve already seen the chaos Rueben Bain Jr. brings off the edge. In the biggest game of the season, Bain was everywhere. Five tackles. Three sacks. Nonstop pressure. Texas A&M barely crossed midfield, settling for a single field goal while Bain wrecked the game plan snap after snap.

Now picture that kind of heat lining up next to Jeffery Simmons in Nashville. That’s the kind of front that keeps offensive coordinators up at night. Simmons collapsing the pocket inside, Bain screaming off the edge. Pick your poison.

If the Titans don’t land the No. 1 overall pick naturally, this might be the rare situation where trading up actually makes sense. Elite pass rushers don’t come around often, and pairing Bain with Simmons could give Tennessee one of the nastiest defensive line duos in the league for years.

Titans’ Pass Rush Problems Make Reuben Bain Jr. a No-Brainer

The Tennessee Titans don’t need to overthink this one. When a defense lacks true difference-makers and the pass rush barely dents the pocket without dialing up pressure, a player like Miami edge terror Reuben Bain Jr. checks every box on Day 1.

With the 4th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft the Tennessee Titans select…. https://t.co/0OUUIKvNcd
— Courtlandt L.M. Griffin (@thecgriffy) January 1, 2026

Bain looks built for Sundays. He brings a nasty blend of burst, power, and polish that translates cleanly to the league. At Miami, he’s been a tone-setter off the edge, winning with heavy hands, a low pad level, and quick-twitch explosion that caves pockets and tracks plays down from the backside. This isn’t just a speed rusher. He converts speed to power with ease, plays with natural leverage, and runs hot all four quarters.

Reuben Bain has put together a strong three-season body of work built on disruption and steady pressure in the trenches. Across those seasons, Bain has totaled 112 tackles, with 61 solo stops and 51 assists, while racking up an impressive 19.5 sacks as a consistent backfield presence. He’s also forced four fumbles, showing a knack for timely impact plays, and added one interception, which he returned for 12 yards at a 12.0-yard average. On top of that, Bain has chipped in two pass breakups, rounding out a stat line that reflects both versatility and reliability. Bottom line: the production matches the tape, and Bain has been a problem for opposing offenses over the long haul.

For Tennessee, the need is glaring. Their front has struggled to generate organic pressure, and there’s no young cornerstone on the edge to build around. Bain fits that bill immediately. He profiles as a three-down defender who upgrades the pass rush from Day 1 and gives the unit an identity it’s been missing.

Pairing a face-of-the-franchise QB like Cam Ward with a defensive game-wrecker like Bain could finally balance the Titans’ blueprint. One guy to lead the offense. One guy to hunt quarterbacks.

When the Titans’ scouting department flips on Bain’s tape, it won’t take long to see it. The traits pop, the production backs it up, and the arrow is still pointing up as he pushes toward becoming the top overall player in the draft.

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