Draft Guru Predicts Big Draft-Day Fall for Miami DE Rueben Bain Jr.

Most 2026 NFL mock drafts have Miami Hurricanes defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. going inside the top five.

And with so many pass-rush-needy teams picking in that spot, it makes a lot of sense.

But ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. predicted a somewhat sizable fall for Bain in his latest mock draft, where he has the Hurricanes’ stud pass-rusher going 10th overall to the Cincinnati Bengals.

“If Bain is still on the board at No. 10, the Bengals should sprint the card in with his name on it,” Kiper said. “This has been a very rough defense for a few years now, and things could look a lot worse if Trey Hendrickson leaves in free agency.

“Last year’s Shemar Stewart pick hasn’t yielded immediate returns, either. But Bain has the ability to wreck opponent game plans. He brings power, speed and bend, and he had 9.5 sacks in 2025. Defensive coordinator Al Golden could move him around on the D-line to find matchup advantages and turn him loose in the pass rush.”

Should Bain fall that far, it would be a major win for the Bengals, who are set to lose stud pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson to free agency.