Miami DE put on a show in front of Chicago Bears’ Ryan Poles and Ian Cunningham, leaving a strong first impression ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft
Getting an early look at a potential first-round target in 2026.
While the Chicago Bears enter Week 1 preparations ahead of a Monday Night date with the Minnesota Vikings next week, the early scouting process kicked into gear for the front office this past weekend during the first week of the CFB season.
On Saturday, Bears’ general manager Ryan Poles attended the LSU/Clemson matchup, and on Sunday was joined by assistant general manager Ian Cunningham for the Miami/Notre Dame game.
Between the two games, the Miami vs. Notre Dame matchup should be viewed as the more meaningful first impression of the 2026 draft class because of one player in particular.
Rueben Bain Jr. stood out vs. Notre Dame
What a Week 1 performance for Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr., who’s viewed as one of the top defensive prospects going into the 2026 NFL Draft. Since arriving at Miami, you knew Bain would be a standout player off the edge.
As a freshman, Bain was named ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year but took a step back in 2024 after an early season calf injury limited his get-off and explosiveness. If Week 1 was any indication, Bain is primed to get back to that 2023 form, or even better.
Bain finished his night against the Notre Dame offense with one sack and three pressures on 27 pass rush snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. And many top executives were in the building to watch.
Could Bain be the one to break Ryan Poles’ draft tendencies?
Since being named general manager of the Chicago Bears in 2022, Ryan Poles has undervalued the defensive end position. Under his leadership, only two true defensive ends have been drafted by the Bears: Austin Booker (2024 fifth-round) and Dominique Robinson (2022 fifth-round). Although it’s worth noting that Poles made a splash trade for Montez Sweat and spent big on Dayo Odeyingbo.
The fact remains the same. Poles hasn’t valued the position early in the draft like one would hope. Back in April, Poles opted to go with a tight end in Colston Loveland over a top edge rusher in Mykel Williams or Jalon Walker in the first round. In 2024, Poles passed on Jared Verse and Dallas Turner in favor of wide receiver Rome Odunze.
As a result, the Bears have shallow depth at the position going into the 2025 season, with only Sweat, Odeyingbo, and Booker as the pure edge rushers under contract after this season. Pursuing a top talent in the 2026 first round, like Bain, would break Poles’ previous draft tendencies, but there’s going to be a strong argument from the fanbase for doing such a move.
While Sunday’s game was just the first of many impressions the Bears’ front office will have on the top pass rusher (and plenty of time before weighing all the potential options), it was an encouraging performance.
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