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

Everyone knew about the tragic car accident and what happened a year later, but when it came to Rueben Bain’s draft situation, people said, “Don’t worry.” His sleeves are short but really good so the refrain remains: “Don’t worry.”

So why did Rueben Bain slide into the middle of the first round of Thursday’s NFL Draft?

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

He fell to the 15th overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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

“I know I’m the best in the country, for sure,” an unsmiling Bain told ESPN’s Laura Rutledge after being selected. “This is how I think of myself.

“I say I can do anything I put my mind to because of my mindset. When I get to the next level, I know I can make it happen.”

The Pirates drafted Bain as the outside rusher behind interior tackle Vita Vea.

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That left the Bucs with the ACC defensive player of the year award and a consensus All-American.

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

But they’re also getting a player that many other teams are missing in need of a pass. The New York Jets took TCU’s David Bailey with the No. 2 overall pick, while the New York Giants selected Arvell Reese with the No. 5 overall pick.

Bain was not only the 15th player taken overall, but also the third edge defender. That’s great by any standard. But this is a disappointment for Bain and changes the narrative around him a bit.

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“He’s got to prove himself, overcome the odds and prove he can make it in the NFL,” draft guru Mel Kiper said on national television.

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

Melvin Ingram’s arms were once measured to be 31 1/2 inches long. Although this may seem short, Ingram has developed into a good player. He played 12 seasons and made three Pro Bowls.

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However, Bain’s arms measured 30 7/8 inches, which was extremely short. In fact, that’s the third shortest arm length of any DE participating in the combine.

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

So this is why Bain dropped out of the top 10?

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Or is it his driving problems and the way he addresses those in the teams?

You should know that Bain was driving in March of 2024 when he crashed into another car on South Florida’s I-95 at 4 a.m., setting off a chain reaction — crashing into a concrete wall on the east side and then careening sideways across the highway into the concrete barrier on the west side — eventually leaving passenger Destiny Betts in a coma.

Betts, who was not wearing his seat belt, died three months later from complications of blunt force trauma injuries.

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

NFL teams were also aware of all this, as well as the player’s accident in October 2025, in which he was accused of reckless driving.

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

To make things even riskier, Bain has refused to be fully transparent about crashes with some of the NFL teams it met with, starting with the NFL combine. This disappointed at least one team, one evaluator told OutKick.

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

But the Buccaneers are happy with Bain and 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 this just came out a few weeks ago. It was a very tragic accident. It’s a tragic experience for the family. And that’s something you never want to happen.”

“But he’s a good person who got involved in something that none of us want to be involved in and we don’t want our loved ones to be involved in. But he loves football. He loves football.”