Everyone knew about the tragic car accident and its follow-up a year later, but when it came time for Rueben Bain’s recruitment, people said, “Don’t worry.” He has short arms, but he is very good, which is why the refrain: “Don’t worry” remained.
Why then did Rueben Bain fall to the middle of the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday?
Whoever said that neither topic would cause Bain to fall from the Top 10 was obviously wrong.
He fell to the 15th overall pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Rueben Bain Jr of the Miami Hurricanes speaks to the media during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana on February 25, 2026. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
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,” Bain told ESPN’s Laura Rutledge seriously after his selection. “That’s how I think of myself.
“I tell them I can do anything I set my mind to because of the way I think. I know when I get to the next level I’ll do it.”
The Buccaneers selected Bain as their outside running back complement to Vita Vea on the inside.
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The Bucs thus earn the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award and a consensus All-American.
Ohio State’s Arvell Reese celebrates after being selected with the fifth overall pick by the New York Giants during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on April 23, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
But they also get a player that many other pass-rushing-needy teams passed up. The New York Jets selected TCU’s David Bailey with the No. 2 overall pick and the New York Giants selected Arvell Reese with the No. 5 overall pick.
Bain was not only the 15th player selected overall, but also the third-ranked edge defender. That’s considered great by any standards. But it’s a disappointment for Bain and changes the narrative about him a bit.
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“He’s got to prove himself and beat the odds and prove he can make it in the NFL,” draft guru Mel Kiper said on national television.
Interestingly, most of the coverage of Bain’s slide focused on the short length of his arms.
Melvin Ingram once measured his arms spanning 31 1/2 inches. And although that is considered short, Ingram became a good player. He played 12 seasons and made three Pro Bowls.
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But Bain’s arms measured 30 7/8 inches, and that’s extremely short. In fact, it’s the third-shortest arm of any DE to have participated in the combine.
Rueben Bain Jr. of the Miami Hurricanes participates in the 2026 Miami Pro Day at the Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility in Coral Gables, Florida, 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 problems and the way he addressed the teams?
You should know that Bain was driving in March 2024 when he crashed into another car on South Florida’s I-95 at 4 a.m., setting off a chain reaction: hitting a concrete wall on the east side and then going all the way across the road to the concrete barrier on the west side, ultimately leaving passenger Destiny Betts in a coma.
Betts, who was not wearing a seat belt, died three months later from complications of his blunt traumatic injuries.
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Bain was charged but acquitted of reckless driving because, in part, the traffic homicide investigator said he received the final report after Bain had already paid his fine.
NFL teams were aware of all this, in addition to the player’s subsequent accident in October 2025, for which he was also charged with reckless 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 the AdventHealth Training Center in Tampa, Florida. (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
To make matters more complicated, Bain refused to be completely transparent about accidents with some NFL teams he met with beginning at the NFL Combine. That disappointed at least one team, an evaluator for that team told OutKick.
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Bain also declined to discuss the matter Wednesday in front of reporters.
The Buccaneers, however, feel good about Bain, his short arms and questionable driving.
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“We’ve known this for a long time,” general manager Jason Licht said. “I know it came to light a couple of weeks ago. It was a very tragic accident. A tragic experience for the family. And it’s something you would never want to happen.
“But he’s a good person who was involved in something that, you know, none of us want to be involved in and never want any of our loved ones to be involved in. But he loves football. He loves football.”