Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. was praised by Florida legend and 14-year veteran NFL defensive lineman Kevin Carter ahead of the NFL Draft, which is April 23 through 25. Bain is a lock for the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
There have been some questions from NFL Draft analysts about Bain Jr. being undersized. Carter stated that "it's about what he puts on tape." Bain has always produced beyond the questions about him dating to his high school career at Miami Central.
Bain had 94.0 tackles for loss and 58.0 sacks in four seasons at Miami Central. Because he was perceived as undersized, Bain was a four-star high school prospect. Bain had 121 tackles, 33.5 TFLs, 20.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, two passes defended and an interception in three seasons with Miami.
Bain would have produced higher career numbers, but he missed four games during his sophomore season in 2024 with an injury. Former LSU head coach Brian Kelly stated in the conversation with Carter he likes that Bain can stay on the field through third down.
"It's about what he puts on tape. The violence and the hands and the pad level and the consistency..."@KevinCarter_93 loves @CanesFootball EDGE Rueben Bain heading into the NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/fVTKQTqkRU
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) April 15, 2026
"When you look at Rueben Bain, the way he was taught the game. The guy is a former nose tackle. The closer you get to the ball, the more physical it is, quicker...his violence, maybe an inch shorter arms...I could careless whatever you are going to read about him. It's about what he puts on tape, the violence, the hands, the pad level, the consistency, the speed and intensity with which he plays. "Former NFL DL Kevin Carter.
Bain Jr.'s 2026 NFL Draft projections
The six CBS Sports NFL Mock Drafts project Bain to be selected between third and 12th in the 2026 NFL Draft. Concerns about Bain, dismissed by Carter, were his NFL Combine measurements. Bain measured 6'2, 263 pounds with 30 7/8 arms and 9 1/8 hands.
Drafts for any sport often focus too much on the measurable and not on performance. Bain did not participate in the drills at the NFL Combine. NFL.Com analyst Lance Zierlein summarized Bain perfectly "Bain’s explosive power and toughness should translate, giving him a high floor as an NFL starter."
Bain's production on the field has always exceeded the scouting analysis of him. The dominance by Bain and edge rusher Akheem Mesidor during the postseason was arguably the biggest reason Miami advanced to the College Football Playoff Championship Game.
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