© Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn
Miami Hurricanes star defensive end Rueben Bain had some brutal measurements at the NFL Scouting Combine. But that just means that Bain is almost assuredly set to make history at the NFL Draft itself.
Bain, who notched 9.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss to help lead the ‘Canes to the national championship game, was a consensus All-American and won the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s top defensive end.
His remarkable play led to projections that he’d go in the top 10, perhaps even the top five, of the 2026 NFL Draft.
However, there was one big question.
Despite his incredible productivity, Bain did not have the ideal body type for an elite defensive end. He was listed at 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds, and it was obvious that his arms were far shorter than most high-level pass rushers.
So when the Combine rolled around this week, NFL teams were dying to get actual measurements on the Miami superstar.
Rueben Bain’s Measurements At The NFL Combine Were Worse Than Imagined
On Thursday morning, we finally got Bain’s official measurements when he went through the process with the rest of the defensive ends at the event.
He checked it at just a hair over 6-foot-2 and 263 pounds, with arms that measured just 30 and 7/8 inches.
How does that stack up to the rest of the defensive ends in the NFL?
Well, at least among those who attended the scouting combine, his arm length is in the first percentile of all players measured.
Not only that, but a defensive end with arms under 31 inches long has never been drafted in the top 100 of the NFL Draft, let alone the first round, or the top 10.
Given Bain’s production, it’s almost impossible to see him falling out of the first round. In fact, it’s still extremely likely that he goes in the top 20 picks at the very worst. Meaning he’s on track to make history in Pittsburgh on April 23.
To make matters even crazier, fellow projected first-round pick Cashius Howell, an All-American who had 11.5 sacks at Texas A&M this past season, had even shorter arms at 30 and 1/4 inches. Howell also had a three-inch shorter wingspan than Bain and is almost 1.5 years old. So it’s entirely possible he falls out of the first round due to his measurements.
But if he doesn’t, we could see not one, but two defensive ends making NFL history at this year’s draft.