Rueben Bain 2026 NFL Draft Stock: Will He Continue To Fall Down Boards?
Kody Malstrom evaluates what is going on with Rueben Bain Jr.'s draft stock and breaks down how to leverage it in the betting market.
A first-team All-American and Ted Hendricks award winner, Rueben Bain is the most decorated edge rusher heading into this year’s draft, yet his stock continues to trend down with each passing day. Recent reports of his fatal car accident aside, Bain’s slip down the board started to happen long before it, making him one of the more curious cases in this year’s class.
RELATED: 2026 NFL Draft Guide
Rueben Bain Jr. NFL Draft Stock Update
Once regarded as the potential No. 1 overall pick, Rueben Bain has trended in the wrong direction, potentially resulting in a slide out of the top 10. Even with his trophy mantle full of awards and accomplishments, Bain has not been able to overcome his poor physical combine results, raising red flags once it was established how short his arms and frame are.
After the combine, Bain’s EDP came crashing down, putting him comfortably behind Arvell Reese and David Bailey, two freak athletes who check every physical box an NFL scout is looking for. While Reese can be slotted at multiple positions within the front seven, Bailey is more of a traditional EDGE with better physical attributes.
With Reese and Bailey expected to go within the top five, Bain has slipped further down the board due to the lack of need for his position. After the Tennessee Titans at 1.04, the New York Giants (1.05) and Cleveland Browns (1.06) have major needs elsewhere, needing to address their offensive line and wide receiver room to help accelerate their rebuild.
Where Bain starts to get commonly mocked is with the Washington Commanders at 1.07, yet they addressed the position in free agency, allowing them to turn their sights towards their secondary. Per my latest NFL mock draft, I have Bain going to the New Orleans Saints at 1.08, giving them depth at the position and a potential cornerstone player if Bain can reach his ceiling.
Unfortunately for the Miami Hurricanes EDGE, it would not surprise me if the Saints address their wide receiver room. If they believe Tyler Shough is their franchise quarterback, then the Saints may elect to take a more impactful player rather than a depth piece, continuing Bain’s slide on draft night.
At 1.09, the Kansas City Chiefs are another viable candidate to draft Bain, yet they have a wide range of holes they need to plug on defense, including their secondary after losing three starters in free agency. The Chiefs also need to address their offensive line at some point, bringing in another slew of players who may bump Bain further down the board.
Like the Chiefs, the Cincinnati Bengals also need to patch their secondary, most likely turning their sights towards Caleb Downs, Mansoor Delane and Jermod McCoy, who all fit the range at 1.10. The Bengals do need to target their defensive line after letting Trey Hendrickson walk to the Baltimore Ravens, potentially stopping Bain’s slide within the top 10.
How to Bet on Rueben Bain’s Draft Position
Even though I have Bain mocked at 1.08, I am toying with the idea of moving him further down the draft board in my next edition. If I had to finalize it right now, I would have him going to the Dallas Cowboys at 1.12, keeping him still relatively close to his current EDP (7.9).
Correlating a bet to his plummeting draft stock, I would place a wager on the over of his draft position at no higher than 8.5, most likely just needing the Commanders and Saints to address their secondary and wide receiver room to help cash this with the rest of the top five targeting elsewhere.
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