Cowboys 2026 draft: DE Rueben Bain Jr. scouting report

SB Nation

We continue our 2026 NFL Draft preview of draft prospects that could interest the Dallas Cowboys. Today we are looking at edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. from Miami.

Rueben Bain Jr.

DE Miami Junior 4-star recruit 6’3” 275

lbs

History

Rueben Bain Jr. grew up in Miami in a football family with deep South Florida roots. His grandfather, Herman Bain starred as a three-sport quarterback at Northwestern High in the 1960s, his father Rueben Bain Sr. was a standout lineman at Carol City, who earned the nickname Hurricane. And Tolbert Bain, cousin to Rueben, played defensive back at Miami and was part of the Hurricanes’ 1987 national title team. In high school, Bain became a Miami Central legend and one of the most productive pass rushers the area has produced in years. He helped lead Miami Central to four state titles and finished with 77 career sacks, and thanks to his efforts he won the 2022 Nat Moore Trophy (South Florida’s top player). It took Bain no time to choose Miami as his college team and he joined as a four-star recruit.

As a true freshman in 2023, Bain made an immediate impact and quickly transitioned from rotational piece to centerpiece. He finished the 2023 season with 44 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks across and three forced fumbles across 13 games. Against Clemson he posted a career-high eight tackles with two sacks and earned ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week and ACC Rookie of the Week. The following week against Virginia he produced seven more tackles, 2.5 TFL and two more sacks. The impressive season earned him ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and Freshman All-America honors.

In 2024, Bain’s season was shaped by durability and availability as much as performance. He missed four games due to injury but still earned All-ACC Honorable Mention and started in all nine games he played, finishing with 23 tackles, 5.5 TFL, and 3.5 sacks.

In 2025, Bain elevated from top prospect to nationally defining defender during Miami’s playoff run. Across the full 2025 schedule, he logged 54 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks, and he added an interception return for 12 yards. His season earned him All-American honors, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and became a player who drew significant protection attention while still producing splash plays. His standout moment came in the playoff run with the win over Texas A&M, where Bain recorded three sacks, four TFL, five tackles, and even blocked a field goal. On the national championship stage, Bain was one of the game’s most productive defenders even in a loss. He made eight tackles, one sack, and 2.5 tackles for loss, proving on the biggest stage he could produce unusually high-volume

2025 Statistics

897 Defensive Snaps
83 Total Pressures
68 QB Hits
54 Total Tackles
16 TFL
9.5 Sack
1 PBU
1 INT
1 FF
5 Penalties

Snap by Postion

B-Gap- 1%
C-Gap- 13%
OLB- 85%

NFL Combine/Pro Day

N/A

Awards

2023 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year
2023 All-ACC Third Team
2023 Freshman All-American
2024 All-ACC Honorable Mention
2025 ACC Defensive Player of the Year
2025 First-Team All-ACC
2025 All-America

Scorecard

Overall– 93
Speed- 83
Acceleration- 95
Agility- 86
Strength- 87
Tackling- 73
Run Defense- 90
Pass Rush- 97
Discipline- 92

THE GOOD

Explosive first step and get-off that consistently beats tackles
Violent, heavy hands with real shock on first contact
High-end speed-to-power conversion and a legitimate bull rush
Plays with strong leverage
Plays with elite pad level for a compact edge
Plus run defender
Sturdy at the point of attack and sets and controls the C-gap effectively
Ability to shed and finish near the line of scrimmage
Can bend the corner without drifting excessively
Very efficient with rush angles and can win high-side with a tight track
Functional pass-rush repertoire and tools beyond power
Alignment versatility
Relentless motor and pursuit effort
Consistent disruption over multiple years
Competitive temperament and leadership

THE BAD

Sub-ideal length and arm length that can show up versus NFL tackles with reach
Tweener build will force NFL teams to be intentional about alignment
Gap discipline and lane integrity can be inconsistent as he’ll gamble and vacate his rush lane
He can win early with burst and violence, but needs a more dependable second-and-third move plan when the initial strike is absorbed.
Tackling efficiency, missed tackles have been an issue
Durability questions after an injury-impacted 2024 season

THE FIT

Bain projects best as an attacking front-seven piece in an even front where he can live on the edge but be moved around to manufacture matchups, primarily a 4-3 defensive end who can rush as a wide-9 on passing downs for get-off and speed-to-power, then reduce inside over guards as a 3-tech/4i in sub packages.

SUMMARY

Bain brings an NFL-ready blend of early-down edge-setting and high-end disruption. He’s a dense, leverage-driven rusher who wins with first-step urgency into contact, heavy hands, and speed-to-power that collapses the pocket rather than purely running the arc. His motor and play strength travel snap-to-snap, and his skill set supports varied usage as a base end on early downs with the ability to reduce inside over guards in sub packages to stress protections with power and hand quickness. That versatility is a meaningful part of his value and it matches why so many evaluators keep him in the top tier of their big boards.

What he needs to improve on is mostly about finishing and pro translation rather than effort. He must tighten his rush moves (having a more automatic second and third answer when the first strike is absorbed), stay more disciplined with rush-lane integrity so quarterbacks don’t find escape alleys when he hunts splash plays, and continue improving his tackling efficiency when he’s forced to tackle in space. Teams will also interrogate the prototype questions that follow compact power edges, how consistently he can keep separation and control reps versus longer NFL tackles, and whether he can hold up for full-time volume without wearing down.

The market right now views Bain as a top of the draft defender and a likely early first-round selection, with a realistic draft window in the top ten, depending on team needs and how clubs weight the premium edge profile. What that means for Dallas at their draft position is they would have too more than likely trade up to grab Bain, but with so many options and positions to fill on the defense this would be a tough move to explain. Is there a chance Bain falls to Dallas given the question marks? We take you back to 2020 and CeeDee Lamb falling to 17, so there’s every chance Bain could be there. If he does, Bain becomes the best player on the board at that point and fills a massive need on the defense, immediately upgrading the roster and providing much need pass rush pressure that was missing in 2025.