Rueben Bain’s short arms and tragic car accident history contributed to his NFL Draft slide

Everybody knew about the tragic auto accident and the follow-up a year later, but when it came to Rueben Bain’s draft status, people said, “No worries.” His arms are short, but he’s really good, so the refrain remained: “No worries.”

Why then did Rueben Bain slide to the middle of the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday?

Whoever said neither issue would cause Bain to fall out of the Top 10 was obviously wrong.

He fell to the No. 15 overall selection held by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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And judging by Bain’s demeanor during his post-draft interview on ESPN, he wasn’t thrilled about it.

“I know I’m the best in the country, I’m sure,” an unsmiling Bain told ESPN’s Laura Rutledge after his selection. “That’s how I think of myself.

“I’m telling you I can do anything I put my mind to because of my mindset. I know when I get to this next level I’m going to pop it. “

The Buccaneers selected Bain to be their outside rusher complement to Vita Vea on the interior.

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The Bucs thus get the ACC defensive player of the year and a consensus All-American.

Arvell Reese of Ohio State celebrates after being selected as the fifth overall pick by the New York Giants during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on April 23, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

But they also get a player that multiple other pass-rush needy teams passed up. The New York Jets took TCU’s David Bailey with the No. 2 overall selection and the New York Giants picked Arvell Reese in the No. 5 slot.

Bain was not only the 15th player taken overall but the third edge defender. That’s considered great by any standard. But it’s a disappointment to Bain and changes the narrative on him somewhat.

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“He’s got to prove himself and beat the odds and prove he can get it done in the NFL,” draft guru Mel Kiper said on national TV.

Interestingly, most of the coverage of Bain’s slide focused on the short length of his arms.

Melvin Ingram once upon a time measured in with arms the spanned 31 1/2 inches. And although that is considered short, Ingram turned into a good player. He played 12 seasons and made three Pro Bowls.

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But Bain’s arms measured in at 30 7/8 inches, and that is extremely short. Indeed, it is the third-shortest arm length of any DE ever to participate in the combine.

Rueben Bain Jr. of the Miami Hurricanes participates in the 2026 Miami Pro Day at Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility in Coral Gables, Fla., on March 23, 2026. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

So, is that the reason Bain dropped out of the Top 10?

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Or is it his driving troubles and the manner in which he addressed those with teams?

Bain, you should know, was driving in March of 2024 when he hit another car on South Florida’s I-95 in the 4 a.m. hour and set off a chain reaction — hitting an eastside concrete wall and then careening all the way across the highway to the westside concrete barrier — that eventually left passenger Destiny Betts in a coma.

Betts, who had not been wearing a seatbelt, died three months later from complications of her blunt force trauma injuries.

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Bain was charged but cleared of careless driving because, in part, the traffic homicide investigator said he received the final report after Bain had already paid his citation.

NFL teams were aware of all this, plus an ensuing accident the player had in October 2025, for which he was also charged with careless driving.

Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht speaks during a press conference with former Head Coach Bruce Arians and new Head Coach Todd Bowles on March 31, 2022, at AdventHealth Training Center in Tampa, Fla. (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

To make matters more dicey, Bain declined to be fully transparent about the accidents with some NFL teams he met with starting at the NFL combine. That disappointed at least one team, an evaluator on that team told OutKick.

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Bain also declined to discuss the matter on Wednesday in front of reporters.

The Buccaneers, however, feel good about Bain, his short arms and his questionable driving.

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“We’ve known about this a long time,” said general manager Jason Licht. “I know it just came out a couple of weeks ago. It was a very tragic accident. Tragic experience for the family. And it’s something you never want to see happen.

“But he’s a good person who was involved in something that, you know, none of us ever want to be involved in and never want any of our loved ones involved in. But he loves football. He loves football.”