Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. was the spark in the Hurricanes’ defense as they smothered many a quarterback in the College Football Playoff to reach the national championship game against the Indiana Hoosiers. Alongside Akheem Mesidor, Bain formed perhaps the most devastating wrecking ball duopoly in college football last season.
Bain is expected to be an early first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, especially in a class that is light on quarterback talent.
Analyst Reveals Rueben Bain’s NFL Draft Ceiling
In his latest mock draft, PFSN analyst Ian Cummings quashed any concerns about Bain’s production that tailed off last season, while predicting the defensive end to be picked as high as No. 2 overall by the New York Jets on draft night.
“Rueben Bain Jr.’s journey to the 2026 NFL Draft as a prospect has already been a tumultuous one. He started the year strong, then fell off enough in production to raise concern about his arm length. Just as quickly, he quelled those concerns with a truly dominant CFB Playoff,” Cummings wrote.
“At 6’3″, 275 pounds, Bain is a rare player type for his position. He’s best operating from wider alignments as a pass-rusher, but he has hyper-elite hand power and strength. For the Jets, he provides the game-wrecking upside, as well as the NFL-translatable play strength and power they’ve been missing too long on the edge.”
Bain is not the only former Miami star mocked to be picked in the first round, with EDGE rusher Mesidor (No. 19) and right tackle Francis Mauigoa (No. 6) also projected to hear their names on day one.
Bain Compared to Dominant NFL Defensive End
During last week’s segment of the “Locked on Bengals” podcast, CBS Sports draft guru Mike Renner was high on Bain’s NFL draft ceiling, while comparing him to Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.
“He’s so clearly the best defensive end in this class. I mean, I’d take him at No. 2 overall,” Renner said. “I’ve compared him to Aidan Hutchinson a little in that Aidan Hutchinson got like picked apart because the body type was weird. When you just watch his tape, you’re just like, ‘Why is this guy so much better than everyone else?’ That’s how I feel about Bain.”
Bain Jr. started 16 games for the Hurricanes, registering 54 tackles, 30 solo tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, one pass broken up, one forced fumble, one interception and two passes defended.
The All-American Hurricanes star also won the Ted Hendricks Award, which is given to the best defensive end in the country. After his impressive performances last season, he earned a PFSN College EDGE Impact score of 82.7.
