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Saints, Rueben Bain Jr. NFL Draft fit picking up steam

Apr 15, 2026 | 8:58 AM
Rueben Bain Jr.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

By Ross Jackson

With the NFL Draft quickly approaching, experts have been dropping their final mock drafts. Across the board, the New Orleans Saints are often paired with one specific prospect, with only a few exceptions: Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. 

Following the Annual Meeting, it became clear that edge rusher would be among the positions that make the most sense for the Saints to address in the opening round of this year’s draft. The team appears to have a desire to add another pass rusher, regardless of the potential return of veteran defensive end Cameron Jordan. 

Of the draft’s three top edge rushers, Bain is the most likely to make it to the Saints’ selection at No. 8 overall. 

Concerns Appear Present But Not Prevailing

In order for the Saints to select Bain, there are two question marks with which the team must first be comfortable. 

2024 Fatal Car Accident

First, a 2024 car accident in which Bain was involved and cited for careless driving. The accident resulted in injuries sustained by one of the passengers, Destiny Betts, who later died after remaining in a coma for three months. 

The charge was dismissed weeks after the accident, no sobriety test was conducted and no speeding citations were given. There was no criminal liability found in the situation and reports suggest that any civil lawsuit “has been settled.”

It also appears that teams have been aware of this situation for some time and it is not expected to impact his draft position. 

The family of the deceased referred to the incident as a “tragic accident,” in a statement. “We also wish Mr. Bain the best as he continues his life and career,” the statement also read. 

If teams, including the Saints, get a clear idea of what took place here, and in Bain’s 2025 careless driving citation (which was dismissed due to unknown critical errors on the traffic ticket), and are comfortable with the explanation and accountability, Bain’s draft stock may not be impacted. 

Measurement Outlier

A distant second concern comes from the on-field perspective. Teams must be comfortable with the annual “short arms” conversation. 

It seems a far cry from the 2024 car accident, but such is the NFL. 

Bain’s 30 ⅞-inch arm length is in the first percentile of defensive ends historically. Raising questions about whether or not the edge rusher’s measurements make him too much of an outlier to invest in as early as the top-10 of the NFL Draft. 

This second concern is far less deserving of skepticism than the first, and hardly holds water even in a vacuum. 

Head coach Kellen Moore cited production as the necessary ingredient when investing in outliers. Bain’s effectiveness and production throughout his collegiate player years are undeniable. The end wrangled 9.5 sacks in 2025 along with 15.5 tackles for a loss. His career numbers in those statistics total 20.5 and 33.5 respectively. 

With that in mind, any concerns over measurements seem unlikely. 

Fit With New Orleans

There are a few players that would be significantly impactful fits with the Saints and Bain is undoubtedly one of them. His ability to take over games late, run the arc, pressure the passer and contribute to stopping the run effectively are all desirable traits for New Orleans. 

Adding him opposite top pass rusher Chase Young would provide the team a fearsome tandem on the field on Sundays. Adding in fellow edge rusher Carl Granderson and the Saints would have a trio of pass rushers to rely upon even if Jordan takes his talents elsewhere in search of greater opportunity. 

Should Jordan return, he’d help to contribute to the growth and development of Bain, which would quickly top prospective Defensive Rookie of the Year odds. 

Bain would get the opportunity to rush as a standup rusher more in the Saints’ defense than he did in Miami’s but wouldn’t be limited against putting his hand in the dirt when he wants, setting up a comfortable transition for the edge defender. 

Premium Position Investment

The NFL often considers five positions “premium” ones: quarterback, tackle, edge rusher, cornerback and wide receiver. 

Since the 2015 draft, they’ve made a selection within the top-16 (including trade-ups) seven times. Of those seven selections, only one wouldn’t be considered an investment at a premium position. 

Only Rankins didn’t carry a premium position tag at the time of being selected by the Saints inside the top-half of the draft’s first round. Peat was designated as a tackle coming in, but mostly focused at guard throughout his tenure in New Orleans. 

This sets up a clear cloud of players that could be options for New Orleans in this year’s opening round:

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and a group of the draft’s top tackles could also be available when New Orleans is on the clock at No. 8, but Downs’ safety vs. slot defender designation could take him out of the “premium” category despite being the consensus best player in the draft while the Saints’ top tackle spots are reliably manned. 

That, along with the team’s well-documented desire to build from the inside out, starting with the trenches, makes edge rusher a likely contender for the team’s top selection. 

As long as the biggest question marks are considered adequately answered, the opportunity, need and tendencies all align to back up the recent trend in mock drafts. Bain could very well be on his way to the Crescent City following night one of the NFL Draft.

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