The Backstory on Rueben Bain Jr.
Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. found himself in the spotlight recently due to a careless driving citation he received two years ago, which led to the loss of a passenger’s life. The timing of this revelation was unfortunate, as it coincided with heightened media attention. Despite the controversy, several NFL executives and media members had prior knowledge of the incident and provided their insights. Some believed that this could still impact his draft stock, while others were more lenient in their assessment.
Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports investigated what these executives knew and how they handled the information. It turned out that most teams were already aware of the situation. Epstein explored why some franchises were okay with the information they received and discovered that some had spoken with Bain and his teammates, Wesley Bissainthe and Nyjalik Kelly, about the incident. Both Bissainthe, a linebacker at Miami, and Kelly, a pass rusher from UCF, were passengers in the vehicle at the time. Teams who spoke with them were satisfied with the consistency of their accounts with Bain’s story.
When Epstein asked teams whether they considered Bain a significant character risk, four out of five responded no, and the fifth said they would exercise caution but did not see him as risky as recent NFL players with citations for speeding or driving under the influence. In fact, one team reportedly believes that “Bain does not drink or smoke.”
Additional Concerns About Bain
In addition to the character concerns, there are other red flags regarding Bain’s evaluation process. Epstein noted that while Bain’s below-average arm length is evident without exact numbers, “multiple evaluators believe this year’s combine arm-length measurements were not precise.” He added that pro day measurements performed by NFL scouts have yielded longer results for several players. Although Bain has some of the shorter arms in this year’s class, if the combine measurements are indeed short, it may not be as historically bad as initially thought.
Other Trench Prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft
David Bailey, a defensive end from Texas Tech, has been receiving a lot of attention during the pre-draft process. He visited a good number of teams early in the month and added a trip to Tennessee a week ago. He even had a visit canceled with the Jets, though the reason remains speculative. To close out his pre-draft process, Bailey visited the Commanders, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Washington added a pair of former late-first-round pass rushers this offseason, but Bailey could elevate the team’s pass rush.
The Chiefs have an unusual luxury in this upcoming draft, as they hold two first-round picks. According to Dakota Watson of SBNation, general manager Brett Veach suggested the team might look to address the defensive line early and often in next week’s draft. He also identified offensive tackle as a position of need, meaning Kansas City may need to address that position with one of their top picks. A recent mock draft suggested Bain could be a pick for the Chiefs, but Veach is concerned about a potential run of tackles shortly after their 9th overall pick, so they may need to focus on the offensive line first.
Ravens’ Focus on the Offensive Line
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta has also highlighted the offensive line as a key focus in the upcoming draft. Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane and Utah right tackle Spencer Fano have been linked to Baltimore by opposing evaluators, according to Jason La Canfora of Sports Illustrated. A recent mock draft placed Ioane with the Ravens, but Fano could easily be the choice. Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor has also been mentioned as a prospect of interest.
