Draft Guru Predicts Huge Fall for Miami DE Rueben Bain Jr.

[ad_1] Most 2026 NFL mock drafts have Miami Hurricanes defensive finish Rueben Bain Jr. going inside the highest 5.

And with so many pass-rush-needy groups selecting in that spot, it makes a variety of sense.

However ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. predicted a considerably sizable fall for Bain in his newest mock draft, the place he has the Hurricanes’ stud pass-rusher going tenth general to the Cincinnati Bengals.

“If Bain continues to be on the board at No. 10, the Bengals ought to dash the cardboard in along with his identify on it,” Kiper stated. “This has been a really tough protection for just a few years now, and issues might look loads worse if Trey Hendrickson leaves in free company.

<img id="11600262" alt="Miami DE Rueben Bain Jr." caption="Rueben Bain Jr. #4 of the Miami Hurricanes reacts after a third quarter sack against the Indiana Hoosiers in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)" credit="" sourcealt="" sources="[]" fetchpriority="auto" loading="lazy" width="2885" height="1923" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" src="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:inherit;object-fit:cover" sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 1536px, (min-width: 768px) 768px, 100vw" srcset="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GettyImages-2257145800.jpg?w=640&quality=80&webp=1 640w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GettyImages-2257145800.jpg?w=750&quality=80&webp=1 750w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GettyImages-2257145800.jpg?w=1000&quality=80&webp=1 1000w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GettyImages-2257145800.jpg?w=1200&quality=80&webp=1 1200w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GettyImages-2257145800.jpg?w=1360&quality=80&webp=1 1360w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GettyImages-2257145800.jpg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1 1600w" bad-src="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GettyImages-2257145800.jpg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1"/> “Final 12 months's Shemar Stewart choose hasn't yielded instant returns, both. However Bain has the power to wreck opponent recreation plans. He brings energy, velocity and bend, and he had 9.5 sacks in 2025. Defensive coordinator Al Golden might transfer him round on the D-line to seek out matchup benefits and switch him unfastened within the go rush.”

Ought to Bain fall that far, it could be a serious win for the Bengals, who're set to lose stud pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson to free company.

The 21-year-old edge-rusher was a one-mack wrecking crew for the Hurricanes. He recorded a team-high 83 pressures and 68 hurries, plus one other 54 tackles, 9.5 sacks, three QB hits, and a go defensed, in response to Professional Soccer Focus.

His addition would offset shedding an edge-rusher as precious as Hendrickson, who totaled 346 pressures, 211 hurries, and 61 sacks in 72 video games with the Bengals.