What is the Dallas Cowboys’ stance on Rueben Bain Jr.? Former team scout believes it’s very clear ahead of 2026 NFL Draft
Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. is one of the biggest mysteries of the 2026 NFL Draft. Where do the Dallas Cowboys stand on the arm length debate going into Thursday?
In the final hours leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft, one of the biggest mysteries about the Dallas Cowboys’ first-round strategy is all about Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. Where do they stand on him?
Bain Jr. was already a controversial prospect before information emerged on his involvement in 2024 fatal car accident. Some teams will be comfortable with his explanation on that front, some won’t.
The same goes for his sub-31-inch arms, which don’t appear to hold him back when you watch the film. But NFL history suggests it’s a problem. So, where do the Cowboys stand on Bain Jr., who is a realistic defensive target at No. 12 overall?
Former Cowboys scout believes Dallas is out on Bain Jr.
Speaking on the Love of the Star podcast, former Cowboys scout and now team insider Bryan Broaddus suggested Dallas is out on Bain Jr. at No. 12 overall.
“What they’re basing this on is history,” Broaddus said Tuesday. “They’re basing this one on the things that Bill Parcells used to talk about in draft rooms [. . .] Bill would always ask the questions about arm length, size, there’s reasons for them.”
To illustrate the history Broaddus is referring to, just look at what our own Ryan Roberts from the A to Z Sports’ NFL Draft team found in his research:
There have been 52 EDGE defenders since 1999 who have had 32-inch arms or shorter. Of those 52, only four players have made at least one Pro Bowl. Only five players managed to record a double digit sack season.
None of those five fell into the sub 31-inch group, which should be a concern to every person who chooses not to care about Bain’s outlier measurement.
– ryan roberts
A to Z Sports
Broaddus added that for the same reason, he doesn’t view Texas A&M EDGE Cashius Howell as a Cowboys target for the same reason.
“It doesn’t seem like the Cowboys are interested in bucking history here,” Broaddus added.
Broaddus’ take seems to be backed up by one Cowboys evaluator who talked pre-draft to Yahoo! Sports’ Jori Epstein. In a recent article diving into the team’s change of identity on defense, she quotes a Dallas evaluator saying: “Can’t go wrong taking big, long, athletic guys. That’s what we want to get back to.”
So one day away from the draft, for better or worse, I wouldn’t mock Bain Jr. to Dallas.