The Cincinnati Bengals might be in for an unexpected windfall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Even though one of the fanbase's top targets in Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles appeared to have put rocket boosters on his stock by dominating the NFL Combine, a blue-chip talent in Miami pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr. may still fall to No. 10 overall.
Bain raised some alarm bells among NFL scouts with arms coming in at under 31 inches. While teams picking in the topfive may be a bit more selective as far as Bain is concerned, Cincinnati's porous defense may give them the luxury of being able to snatch him up.
If Bain is still there at No. 10, which may have become a possibility, it shouldn't take a master talent evaluator in the Cincinnati front office to sprint to the podium and make Bain the perfect replacement for the impending free agent Trey Hendrickson.
Rueben Bain Jr. complete NFL Combine measurements
Category | Performance |
|---|---|
Height | 6-2 |
Weight | 262 |
Hand Size | 9 1/8 |
Arm Length | 30 7/8 |
Wingspan | 77 1/2 |
Only four edge rushers in NFL Combine history have ever had a shorter arm measurement than Bain, and two of them (Cashius Howell and Caden Curry) were measured right after him. Those arms aren't just small, they are historically small for any first-round pick, let alone a possible top-five selection.
Bain's measureables are about the only thing that can be called into question regarding his stock as a pro prospect. Between his tremendous ability to dominate as an edge-setting run defender, violent hands giving hima. full toolbox of pass rush moves, and a violent mindset on the field, Bain profiles as a 10-year starter in the NFL.
Bain has seemed to have fallen behind Ohio State's Arvell Reese and Texas Tech's David Bailey, both of whom had dominant performances at the Combine, as far as edge rushers are concerned. Both of them ran their 40-yard dashes in 4.51 or less while checking the measurable boxes.
The Bengals may get a hard crash course in the production vs. measurable battle if they take Bain. Their starting edge rushers in the 2026 season could be arguably the country's most disruptive edge rusher in Bain and an all-traits, no sacks player in Shemar Stewart. Which will prevail?
Bain is likely going to slide if the arm length scares some teams away, and if enough teams overthink it, look for the Bengals to benefit by making him an instant starter on a subpar defensive line.