Rueben Bain arm length controversy: Why NFL Draft prospect has been scrutinized for combine measurements

The arm length may not seem like an issue based on the number alone, but it is a historically low figure. Bain has the third-shortest arms for a defensive end that have ever been measured at the NFL Combine. The only two EDGE rushers with shorter arms are Cashius Howell (30 1/4") and Nate Williams (30 5/8").

Howell spent his collegiate career split between Bowling Green and Texas A&M. He is not projected to get selected in the first round like Bain is, and doesn't have the same explosiveness.

If you are unfamiliar with Williams' name, that would likely be why teams are iffy on Bain. He didn't have the same collegiate production as Bain, but he still never translated his game to the NFL.

IYER: Latest 3-round mock for the 2026 NFL Draft

2026 Miami Pro Day

The vibe coming out of Bain's Pro Day at Miami was that there wasn't a lot of concern about his arm length. At the time, there was chatter that he could even be in contention to go No. 2 behind Fernando Mendoza, though he is now more consistently being mocked in the back-half of the top-ten.

One of the analysts on hand had this to say about Bain: "Multiple evaluators (NFL insider Jason) La Canfora communicated with thought Bain stood as good a chance as any of the other top few picks at landing in the No. 2 overall slot. They pointed to Bain’s maturity while at the same time valuing how much younger he is than other top pass rushers who utilized the transfer portal in college. There appears to be a growing sense that the people making Draft Day decisions prize Bain more than those who specialize in mock drafts, as La Canfora puts it.”

Another evaluator brushed off the prospect's arm length. They said, "Go check his wingspan differential. His arms are not going to be a problem. This kid did nothing but produce. I think he’s definitely in play at 2.”