Why Rueben Bain is the most controversial first round draft pick for the Titans despite lighting up the College Football Playoff

The most noticeable Miami player this postseason is going to be hotly debated in the NFL draft.I

Easton Freeze, Ryan Roberts
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If you’ve been watching the College Football Playoff so far, then you’re at least familiar with the name Rueben Bain. He’s the star pass rusher for the now semifinal-bound Miami Hurricanes, and he’s been involved in big plays consistently for his team this postseason. He’s been projected as a top-10 draft pick all season long, and plenty of analysts consider him to be EDGE1 in this class.

The Titans are slated to pick fourth in the draft with one game left to play, and everybody who has watched any Titans football this year knows how big a need edge rusher is for them. So get ready to talk about Bain a ton the next couple months, because you’re right in range to be strongly considering him.

But if he’s such an impact player in these playoffs and a popular top-10 draft choice, then where’s the controversy? Why is there such discord over his NFL profile? Let’s talk about it.

What makes Rueben Bain such a controversial draft prospect

Bain’s postseason so far has been very impressive. Against both Texas A&M and Ohio State, he’s put up some gaudy numbers.

His ability to impact games as a pass rusher sometimes overshadows his raw power in the run game as well. He’s no designated-pass-rusher-only type, he’s a three-down player.

And his bend around the edge is a high-level trait that always jumps off the screen. That’s something that will always catch NFL attention.

I’m still not hearing any downside, you scream into your laptop or phone. Well, here it is: he’s not very long. In fact, he lacks length in a rather historic way for somebody being mocked so highly in the draft. His arms are going to measure under 31 inches this spring, which will put him in the 1st percentile for edge rushers.

So that’s the rub: he’s a certified dawg on the field who has an important physical threshold problem that would make him a massive outlier. Now, the thing about outliers is that somebody has to be first. A hard threshold is only historically sound until somebody does it once! And Bain’s greatest proponents believe he has what it takes to make his lack of length obsolete at the next level. But can a team like the Titans, who can’t afford to miss on top draft picks, spend an enormously valuable one on a guy who would have to defy the odds?

The way I see it, the Rueben Bain arm length debate is really just a positional value debate. It’s not so much a question of whether he will be a good or a bad player because of his length. It’s a question of where this good football player will eventually line up. How will this good football player’s next team use him? And does that projected position/usage dictate the draft value you’re willing to spend on this good football player?

Plenty of analysts think he may end up playing inside at the next level, and that he could be a tremendous interior defensive lineman. His ability to win big on stunts and games up front is already on display at Miami, and I’m sure NFL defensive coordinators are licking their chops at the idea of using him in creative ways along their front. But the Titans have Jeffery Simmons and T’Vondre Sweat on the inside already, and have a glaring need at EDGE specifically. Not only would he be something of a redundancy if he ended up inside for Tennessee, but the positional value of a great interior player vs. a great edge rusher in the top 10 is historically crystal clear.

When you consider all of this, it becomes clear why Tennessee feels like a wonky or risky fit for somebody like Bain. And yet, when you watch him play football lately, it becomes difficult to care about all of that. The man is very good at football.

The scout’s case against Bain in the top five

The NFL season has one week left and I don’t dig into my full draft studies until then, so I pinged A to Z Sports Draft Analyst Ryan Roberts for his scouting take on Bain. Here’s what he said:

The great Rueben Bain debate is going to rage on from now until the 2026 NFL Draft officially kicks off in April. When you break down Bain’s game, and more specifically his physical profile, there are some questions for just how well it’ll translate to the next level. 

The things you love all revolve around his power profile, which is impressive. Bain sets a firm and consistent edge, having the ability to stack, press, and defeat opposing blockers. He also has the ability to convert speed to power as a pass rusher when given a runway. Those facts provide a good floor for Bain as a player, offering quality-good starter upside. 

The main issue derives from Bain’s outlier traits. He is a historical outlier in terms of length, which does limit his ability to win the outside track as a pass rusher and finish plays. His pressure to sack rate is very low, offering little ability to finish plays consistently due to having below average closing speed to boot. 

Bain, overall, is a player you want on your football team, but is he a talent you want to draft in the Top 5? Without that high upside as a pass rusher, and inconsistency to finish, Bain feels like a quality player who could be over-drafted, which creates an interesting conversation about value towards the top of the draft.

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