INDIANAPOLIS – There aren’t many complaints surrounding Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. as an NFL Draft prospect. He’s beyond powerful, fairly quick for his 6-foot-3, 275-pound frame and has a wide array of pass-rushing moves to go along with it.
The only knock against Bain as a prospect through the early stages of the NFL Draft process and over the last few months has been the length of his arms. Historically, that’s a physical trait that’s gone against many top-tier edge rushers looking to make a name for themselves in the NFL. The same could very well be the case for Bain.
For teams selecting in the Top 10, a range where Bain could very realistically land, it’s hard not to consider arm length a valuable asset for any player, even outside of the defensive end position.
Take the Tennessee Titans, for example. The Titans hold the fourth spot in the 2026 draft and could very well look to add more talent off the edge. While stacking Bain up against the likes of David Bailey from Texas Tech and Arvell Reese from Ohio State, while also considering Tennessee’s defensive scheme that commands length on the defensive front, his physical traits could send him down the draft board.
“Arm length is always going to be key, especially with a team like us that plays more of a zone style,” Tennessee Titans Head Coach Robert Saleh said at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday. “Those long arms close up passing windows and all the different things that we asked them to do. So it’s really every position. Arm length is always a big deal.”
Saleh’s not the only one saying this. Arm length certainly does appear to be a big deal.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t good players with short arms, however. Bain has absolutely been tabbed as one of the players with short arms who could be an immediate difference maker, along with Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell, Alabama’s LT Overton and Michigan’s Derrick Moore. All of those players are viewed as consensus top-100 prospects.
“In terms of guys with shorter arms, and there’s a few in this draft who are really, really good players, … but how well (do) they play with the length they have,” Washington Commanders General Manager Adam Peters said.
Most front office members have made it clear that length is a hot commodity. That doesn’t mean that players with short arms, especially pass rushers, are immediately out of value.
Players at the position who lack the length desired by most NFL front offices and coaching staffs can always break that mold or contribute in another way. There’s always the option to kick inside and provide some athletic versatility there, or be imposing enough to make length not matter on the outside.
“In an ideal world, would you love to have a guy with long arms? Yeah, absolutely,” Green Bay Packers head coach Jeff Hafley said. “But I think there’s other guys that have short arms and that are really good edge rushers (and) are really good inside.”
The script could easily be flipped in this debate, as well. There are likely more long-armed edge rushers than ones with short arms and it’s very possible that not all of them panned out. More goes into evaluating these players than athletic traits and that plays into Bain’s advantage.
Short-armed players can also play longer by the way they use the rest of their body. This is a trait that Bain could afford to pick up and hone in on as his professional career gets a kickstart.
“It’s great to have that length, but it’s also how they use it and how it comes out on the tape,” Peters said. “ Some guys can excel with shorter arms by doing things differently, but ideally, you want to err on the side of longer.”
Part of the concerns with a short-armed defensive end like Bain could be the ability for them to get dominated by stronger, more athletic offensive tackles. Luckily for Bain, he’s going to be one of the more powerful players at the position, with the chance to fill out more as years pass.
At the same time, getting off blocks and getting shut down immediately at the line of scrimmage has haunted him at moments over the last two seasons.
“Some guys with short arms, they just get eaten up,” Hafley said. “But some guys are so quick where they can get their hands inside first and still disengage.”
Regardless of his arm length, Bain is a physically imposing player. His sheer power alone might be enough to not scare teams away from picking him as early as he’s being projected to land, as well. That being said, the more that NFL front office members weigh in and look at the history of short-armed defensive ends, the concerns that some might have come into question more.
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ORLANDO, Fla. — Lionel Messi scored twice in a four-goal second half, defender Telasco Segovia added a goal and two assists and defending champion Inter Miami CF rallied to beat Orlando City SC 4-2 on Sunday night, winning for the first time at Inter&Co Stadium.
Messi took a pass from Segovia and scored in the 57th minute to tie it 2-2, and Segovia scored unassisted in the 85th for the lead. Messi put the finishing touch on the victory when he scored off a free kick in the 90th.
“The victory belongs exclusively to the players,” Miami coach Javier Mascherano said after the game. “In the second half, they were a championship team. There were no tactics, nothing like that. There was heart, courage, possession, resilience, commitment. I think the team came out because they were champions last year.
“In the end, the players showed it. This victory is theirs.”
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Messi’s first two goals of the season give him 52 in his first 55 regular-season MLS matches — 51 of them in his past 49 appearances. It also brought the reigning MLS MVP to 898 career goals scored, including 672 for Barcelona and 115 for Argentina.
“He’s the best player to ever play this sport. He’s a leader, and as a leader, he inspires others, but he also often needs to be inspired himself,” Mascherano said of Messi. “When he was driving forward, he had more attacking options, and with so many opportunities, he clearly has the ability to create chances like no one else, and that’s what allowed us to turn the game around.”
Marco Pašalić took a pass from Iván Angulo and scored in the 18th minute to give Orlando City a 1-0 lead. Pašalić has scored in four straight matches against Inter Miami.
Inter Miami players celebrate after scoring a goal against Orlando City in MLS.
Defender Griffin Dorsey set up Martín Ojeda for a goal six minutes later for a 2-0 advantage that stood through halftime.
Inter Miami cut it to 2-1 four minutes into the second half on Mateo Silvetti’s first career goal. Defenders Segovia and Facundo Mura had assists as the 20-year-old forward found the net in his fifth career appearance.
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Segovia had eight goals and six assists as a rookie last season, while Mura collected his first assist in his first season.
Dayne St. Clair, the reigning goalkeeper of the year, turned away three shots — all in the second half of his second start with Inter Miami, but let in a soft goal for Orlando’s first.
Maxime Crépeau had four saves in his second start for Orlando City.
Teenager Colin Guske, 19, will miss Orlando City’s next match after the rookie picked up two yellow cards in his first start — the second one led to his exit in the 88th minute.
Inter Miami, which had never won in its previous nine trips to Orlando, was coming off a 3-0 road loss to LAFC.
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Orlando City swept Inter Miami during the regular season last year and leads the all-time series 8-7-4.
Inter Miami plays D.C. United on Saturday at Audi Field. Orlando City is also on the road with a match against New York City FC.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this recap.
Rain floods Miami Beach streets, cut short Miami Heat Family Festival
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Much-needed rain fell across South Florida on Sunday, but the downpour quickly led to flooding and traffic headaches.
“The drainage systems aren’t the best but in ten minutes it will be gone,” one person said.
The rain lasted longer than 10 minutes, flooding several spots along Collins Avenue in Miami Beach.
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In one neighborhood, at least a foot of water blocked the entrance. Drivers who attempted to pass through sent waves crashing onto nearby sidewalks.
The heavy rain also snarled traffic on parts of Interstate 95 and on the bridges to and from Miami Beach, slowing drivers trying to get around the area.
“It’s Miami for you. What do they call it, a sun shower?” one driver said.
The weather disrupted Sunday plans for many. The 26th annual Miami Heat Family Festival was cut short after strong winds swept through Dan Paul Plaza, knocking over several tents.
There is no word yet on how or when the Miami Heat plan to make up the family festival.
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Brett Knese
Brett Knese joined the Local 10 News team as a general assignment reporter in March 2025.
Jack and Jill of America’s Miami chapter closed out Black History Month with an inaugural “Roots Across Waters” trip to Nassau, where families explored ancestral sites, honored the Bahamian labor that helped build early Miami, and donated Afro‑Caribbean children’s books to local students.
