For Rueben Bain Jr. to become an NFL star, he’ll need to do it as an outlier.
The ultra-productive Miami edge rusher’s arms measured at 30 ⅞ inches at the NFL Scouting Combine — one of the shortest measurements at his position in recent decades.
Since 1999, only four edge rushers measured in with shorter arms than Bain, according to the combine-based data website MockDraftable.
One of those four, Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell, is also in this year’s class. Howell’s arms came in at 30 1/4 inches on Thursday. Of the other three, only Sutton Smith — a 2019 sixth-round pick — was drafted.
Lauded for his combination of power, speed and pass-rushing moves, Bain is among the top prospects in April’s draft, where many have him pegged as a top-10 pick.
But Thursday’s development in Indianapolis further complicates the draft stock of one of this year’s most-scrutinized prospects.
Bain, for his part, isn’t putting too much stock in his arm length, which was among the buzziest topics going into the combine.
“I didn’t hear it until later in the year, but it kind of surprised me because I never heard it all my life,” Bain said Wednesday on the eve of the measurement. “I don’t give it the time of day, honestly.”
Bain, 21, recorded 9.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss in 16 games last season, helping lead the Hurricanes to the national championship game.
Over three seasons at Miami, he totaled 20.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss in 38 games.
But as ESPN draft guru Matt Miller pointed out, each of the NFL’s top-10 sack artists in 2025 have arms exceeding 32 inches. Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett, who set a single-season record with 23.0 sacks last season, has 35 ¼-inch arms.
“None of the teams seem to be too concerned with it,” Bain said of his arm length. “I will just talk the talk and walk the walk. … Nobody is really asking me about it.”
Bain’s non-traditional body type has led to speculation he is destined to become an interior defensive lineman in the NFL.
But Bain would be small for a defensive tackle, considering he came in Thursday at 6-2 ¼ and 263 pounds — shorter and lighter than what he was listed at Miami.
Bain opted against participating in Thursday’s workout for defensive linemen and linebackers.
Still, the measurements made this a noteworthy combine for Bain, whose position group in this year’s draft includes Ohio State’s Arvell Reese and Texas Tech’s David Bailey.
The Jets, who hold the No. 2 and No. 16 picks, are among the teams in need of a pass rusher, especially after they agreed to trade Jermaine Johnson to the Tennessee Titans on Thursday.
The Arizona Cardinals (No. 3), Titans (No. 4) and Cincinnati Bengals (No. 10) are among the other teams expected to consider the position toward the top of the draft.
