INDIANAPOLIS -- The numbers are in on Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. and his much-discussed arm length.
Bain's arms at 30 and 7/8 inches on Thursday at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, effectively meeting the low end of the expectation of approximately 31 inches -- an estimate that has driven some skepticism when projecting Bain's long-term outlook at the next level.
Bain spoke on the matter during his Wednesday news conference and didn't express much concern about his measurements. Thursday served only as confirmation of what folks have already seen on tape: an explosive, sack-generating machine who also happens to have suboptimal arm length.
Bain's production at Miami (33.5 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in 38 games) should speak for itself, but in the world of talent evaluation and high-stakes projection, every physical attribute is scrutinized. With each passing year, previous classes are referenced with the hopes of finding a predictive element in quantifiable data.
There is good news for Bain, though: He doesn't have the shortest arms of his position group in this class. Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell came in at 30 and 1/4 inches, making for a pair of measurement outliers who are still expected to be first-round picks.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: NFL Network and 麻豆国产 will have live coverage of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine through March 1.
