The Washington Commanders are coming off a 5-12 season, and they have various needs on their roster heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. The Dan Quinn-coached squad could benefit by using its first-round selection on a defensive lineman who could be a high-impact player from day one.
Seven-Round Mock Draft Predicts Rueben Bain Jr. to the Commanders
Based on the weaknesses of the Commanders’ roster, PFSN’s Jacob Infante predicted in his seven-round mock draft that the NFC East squad will draft Rueben Bain Jr. with the seventh overall pick.
“Rueben Bain Jr. is a powerful edge rusher who accelerates quickly off the line of scrimmage,” Infante wrote. “Bain maintains a low center of gravity at the point of attack, he converts speed to power well, and he has a deep arsenal of moves he can string together to shed blocks. He was arguably the best pure edge rusher in college football this year and is easily one of the top prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.”
Landing Bain will help fortify the Commanders’ defensive line depth chart. Washington’s pass rush suffered after Dorance Armstrong, Eddie Goldman, Javontae Jean-Baptiste, and Deatrich Wise Jr. spent time on injured reserve.
The All-American from Miami could also be the Commanders’ answer for Von Miller’s departure. While the eight-time Pro Bowler led the team with 9 sacks, he remains a free agent days before the 2026 draft starts.
According to PFSN’s Defense Impact Metric, the Commanders’ defense ranked third-worst in the league last season with an impact score of 64.8.
As written on PFSN’s scouting report on Bain, “While power is Bain’s primary mode, he has a deep pass-rush bag and smooth upper-lower synergy, superb strength, IQ, and pursuit range in run defense, and surprising flexibility as a finisher… In that role, Bain can be a plus starter and situational game-wrecker in the NFL, similar to how he was in college.”
He used these attributes to collect 20.5 sacks in three seasons with the Hurricanes. In his final season at Miami, he became a Consensus All-American and won the Ted Hendricks Award after gathering 30 solo tackles, 9.5 sacks, and an interception in 16 games. It’s a nice response after his sophomore year, wherein he played in only nine games due to a soft-tissue injury.
Bain was a defensive disruptor who helped the Hurricanes reach the College Football National Championship Game despite being the 10th seed.
If his game translates to the NFL, he could be that young generational talent for the Commanders’ defense, like what Jayden Daniels is for their offense.
