The Chicago Bears could look to add a premier pass rusher opposite Montez Sweat, and that could come through an unlikely avenue with the drafting of Miami star edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr.
Bain, 21, is highly regarded as this year’s top pass rusher, but with concerns about his 30 7/8 inch arm length, some teams have reportedly removed him from their draft boards.
Not only that, but ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller also made a prediction that Bain could fall outside the top 10, with NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah also seeing a reality where Bain falls out of the top 10.
“…Bains length may not bother twitter but there are teams that it bothers for sure,” NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein added.
Rising Odds of Major Slide for Rueben Bain Jr.
The Bears, currently sitting at pick 25, would still have to make a move to trade up and draft Rueben Bain because even if he does fall outside the top 10, there’s little to no chance he falls all the way to 25.
Bain, despite the short arms, recorded 121 total tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, one interception, and 2 pass breakups in three seasons across 38 career games at Miami.
The point of this is to bring awareness of Bain’s potential drop. Is he still on the Bears’ draft board despite the short arms? If he were to drop, would Chicago be interested in making a move to trade up and draft him?
Bain’s short arms never stopped him from being one of the most dominant pass rushers at the highest level of collegiate football. He also has one of the best bends in football, which is a crucial attribute to have as a pass rusher.
Zierlein provided more on what makes Bain an elite pass rusher.
“Note taker, grudge holder and block destructor with a compact frame and defensive tackle play strength. Bain is ill-tempered with his take-ons, hitting blockers with heavy hand strikes. He plays through tight ends and can anchor against tackles and double teams. However, his lack of strength can lead to him being smothered if he doesn’t land the first strike. He can bend and flip his hips at the top of the rush, swipe away punches and generate a strong bull rush. His playoff run showed an ability to generate quick wins if tackles are passive in setting to him. He can rush off the edge or mismatch guards as a sub-package rusher. Bain’s explosive power and toughness should translate, giving him a high floor as an NFL starter.”
ESPN Laid Out a Potential Trade for Bears to Move Up for a Pass Rusher
Speaking on the Bears potentially trading up for someone like Rueben Bain, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell laid out a projected trade package if Bain or one of the other top pass rushers were to fall outside the top 10.
Bears get: 1-11, 5-151, 7-227, 2027 fifth-round pick
Dolphins get: 1-25, 2-57, 2027 second-round pick
Barnwell wrote that this would “really make sense only if one of the top pass-rush prospects, such as [David] Bailey, Bain or [Arvell] Reese, fall out of the top 10.”
Are any of those three pass rushers worth giving up two second-round picks? Leaning towards no on that.
Here’s the thing. The Bears need more than just someone like Bain to become Super Bowl favorites. There are multiple holes to address, and making a move of this caliber seems hard to justify.
Now, if Bain falls further than pick 11, let’s say in the 15ish range, and the Bears can trade up for a cheaper cost, now it becomes a more enticing situation.
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