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TAMPA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 22: Khalil Benson #70 of the Kansas City Chiefs blocks Rueben Bain #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of a preseason game at Raymond James Stadium on August 22, 2026 in Tampa, Florida.
Former Miami Hurricanes Rueben Bain Jr. was nothing short of dominant at the college level, winning the Ted Hendricks award as the nation’s top defensive end in 2025 and leading his team to the national championship game.
But despite Bain’s incredible production for the ‘Canes, including College Football Playoff games against the nation’s top teams, he still fell out of the top 10 of the 2026 NFL Draft, all the way to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 15.
Some felt that the Buccaneers got a steal with Bain remaining on the board that long. However, his NFL debut against the Cincinnati Bengals appeared to have revealed the fatal flaw that may keep him from succeeding at the pro level.
Rueben Bain’s Arms Are Simply Too Short To Deal With NFL Offensive Tackles
The biggest knock on Bain entering the NFL Draft was his measurables. Specifically, his 30-and-7/8th-inch arms were measured in just the first percentile among players at his position.
His 77-and-3/8th-inch wingspan was in the 10th percentile, and his 9-and-1/8th inch hands were in the ninth percentile.
Why is that a problem? Well, according to historical data, no player with arms under 31 inches has recorded a double-digit sack season in the NFL dating back to 1999.
On Sunday against the Bengals, we saw exactly why Bain’s arm length could prove to be a major hindrance.
Rueben Bain Jr. all true pass rush reps in his NFL debut pic.twitter.com/qSdn2TYBU2
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) September 14, 2026
Bain lined up across from Cincinnati right tackle Amarius Mims, who is in the 95th percentile for arm length, 96th percentile for wingspan, and 98th percentile for hand size.Â
As you can imagine, that proved problematic for the rookie.
Bain was never able to get close to Mims, who controlled him all game. The Buccaneers rookie recorded zero sacks, zero QB hits, and zero QB pressure, grading out at just 40.1 on Pro Football Focus.
To his credit, Mims is a brutal draw for Bain in his first game. He’s one of the largest and longest right tackles Bain will see all year. But it still highlights a glaring problem.
Perhaps with more time in the league, Bain will find solutions to work around his relatively limited stature. But for the time being, it appears he’s going to have a tough time adjusting to life in the NFL.