Andrew Buller-Russ
The 2026 NFL Draft is just over two weeks away. While his exact draft slot is yet to be determined, Rueben Bain Jr. will hear his name called when the first round takes place on April 23. The question is, how high will the former Miami Hurricanes pass-rusher be drafted?
Top-3? Top-5? Or will he slip outside of the top-10 picks? Most assume he’ll be a top-10 pick after recording 9.5 sacks and earning first-team All-American status in 2025.
However, some are still very critical of Bain developing into a superstar at the next level. While the film shows an explosive, extremely bendy pass-rusher who can create leverage with ease, many are concerned about his ‘short’ arms that measure under 31 inches.
Former NFL defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko has been among Bain’s biggest critics. Most recently, Fehoko stated that selecting Bain with a top-10 selection “will get a general manager fired” from his job, and he says it’s “not a hot take.”
“Drafting Reuben Bain in the first round, let alone a top 10 pick, will get a general manager fired,” Fehoko said. “It is not a hot take. It’s the facts. Bain is a phenomenal football player. However, Bain is a tweener. He’s 6-foot-2, 265 with 30 and a quarter-inch arms. When you have to ask yourself, where does Bain fit into an NFL defensive system?
That’s where it starts getting tricky. He’s too undersized to be a 4-3 defensive end. Now you can say he can get the job done. I think he can. However, NFL teams don’t believe it. Cause if they did, we’d see a starting defensive end in the NFL (with Bain’s measurements). You don’t see any Bain builds out there in a 4-3 system. You could make an argument that he could be a 3-4 outside linebacker, but you and I both know if you’ve watched Bain, his best asset is going forward, it ain’t dropping in coverage.”
"Drafting Reuben Bain in the first round let alone a top 10 pick will get a general manager fired." pic.twitter.com/dZ1ZphsIAI
— Breiden Fehoko (@BreidenFehoko) April 4, 2026
Fehoko arrived in the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020. He managed to play three seasons with the team, starting four of his 19 appearances. Fehoko hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since the 2022 season, but he clearly still takes a rooting interest in watching his fellow defensive lineman, and he’s taken a clear stance against Bain finding extreme success in the NFL.
Despite Fehoko’s attempt to warn teams, Bain will surely become a first-round pick, possibly even a top-10 selection. He’s not far off when saying Bain’s future could have an impact on the future of whichever GM selects him, but generally, those decisions come down to a lot more than just one draft selection. Nevertheless, Bain will do his best to continue proving all the doubters wrong, including Fehoko.
Related: 2026 NFL Mock Draft: When Will Rueben Bain Get Drafted?
