Chiefs scouting report: Miami Hurricanes DE Rueben Bain Jr.
The Kansas City Chiefs took a risk when they selected George Karlaftis in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. Karlaftis lacked ideal arm length and relied more on power than bend and explosiveness. The decision paid off, and Karlaftis eventually signed a franchise cornerstone contract extension.
Kansas City acquired another short-armed power rusher by drafting Ashton Gillotte in the third round this past spring. The Chiefs could double down on their defensive end room in the 2026 NFL draft by selecting Miami Hurricanes star Rueben Bain Jr., who has the potential to eclipse Gillotte on the depth chart.
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Bain is a controversial prospect because of his short, stout build and limited arm length. If there’s a team willing to look past those concerns, it’s Kansas City.
Bain suffered a soft tissue calf injury in Week 1 last season and never looked like himself the rest of the year. His freshman 2023 tape reveals a much more explosive, confident game-wrecker. Bain’s draft stock could even out if he gets back to that level of play in 2025.
Bain is a thick and sturdy pass rusher who uses precise hand placement to overcome his lack of arm length. His pass rush plan includes converting speed to power, cross-chops, long-arms, push-pulls, rips, swim moves and two-handed swipes. He also incorporates powerful swipes, chops and clubs and combinations of the previously listed rush moves.
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Bain lacks the bend to consistently threaten quarterbacks around the arc, so he frequently attacks the B-gap by prying it open with a long-arm or using swipes or swims to capture the offensive tackle’s inside shoulder.
Bain’s margin for error as a pass rusher is much smaller than other prospects’ because he lacks the burst and twitch to recover from mistakes. He struggles to win around fleet-footed offensive linemen who mirror his movement well. Long-limbed offensive tackles also give Bain some trouble since he lacks their elite length.
Bain drops a powerful anchor at the point of attack and uses heavy hands to stack and shed blocks. His leg drive and naturally powerful frame help him drive the offensive tackle backward to compress the B-gap and close running lanes. With a little more emphasis on maintaining gap integrity, Bain could become a true edge-setting defensive end capable of spilling action back inside to Chris Jones.
This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: 2026 NFL draft scouting report: Miami Hurricanes DE Rueben Bain Jr.
