Even after the Washington Commanders spent big on pass rushers like Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson in the 2026 NFL offseason, they would need to consider selecting someone like Miami's Rueben Bain Jr. in the 2026 NFL Draft at No. 7 overall if he ends up falling to them.
While Bain was one of the most dominant players in the country with the Hurricanes last season, his sub-31-inch arms are a historical outlier in terms of both first-round status and eventual NFL success. One anonymous Big Ten assistant coach has taken it upon himself to dismiss those concerns as complete bunk.
“All those people who talk about how short his arms are are idiots,” the coach said, via The Athletic. “This is just asinine conversation that people are having. Watch his film. He’s gonna be a dude...He’s elite, man. Did you watch his (pro day)? He can get his right shoulder almost on the ground when he’s turning the corner, and the violence he’s coming out of it with — what he did in that drill is rare.”
Anynonymous coach hypes up Commanders NFL Draft target Rueben Bain Jr.
Even with the additions of Oweh and Chaisson, both of whom have serious concerns about their ability to consistently replicate their 2025 production, Bain should be on Adam Peters' radar. Even with the arm length, Bain has been able to consistently topple high-end offensive linemen due to his ferocious style of play.
Not only is Bain the best run-defending pass rusher in this class, but his deep array of pass rusn moves and violent disposition on the field has helped him become one of the premier sack artists in this class as well. Bain's negatives hinge almost entirely around his measureables.
While it may sound silly to pass on someone with a proven record of borderline dominance because his arms are a bit stubby, these drills and measurements exist for a reason, and Bain would be a historic outlier.
Going to a coach like Dan Quinn, who has a history of working with defensive linemen that can assimiliate into his scheme, could be one of his better landing spots, as Quinn will likely move him around to put him in positions where he could be successful.
Bain's arms will knock him out of the top-five in all likelihood, which could make for a very difficult decision when Washington comes around to pick at No. 7.