Commanders Eyeing Defense In Round 1?
On the strength of a surprisingly strong rookie Jayden Daniels campaign, the Commanders found themselves a game away from a Super Bowl appearance in 2024. Significant missed time for Daniels and a number of other key contributors led in part to a disappointing 2025 campaign, but another huge factor was a defense that gave up the most yards and the sixth-most points in the NFL. Because of that, ESPN’s Peter Schrager believes Washington will be looking to add to their defense when their pick in the first round arrives.
The Commanders have already done a bit of work to improve things on that side of the ball in free agency, signing outside linebackers Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, and Charles Omenihu, linebacker Leo Chenal, defensive tackle Tim Settle, cornerbacks Amik Robertson and Ahkello Witherspoon, and safety Nick Cross. Settle should join Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw on the defensive line.
Chenal should slot in next to Frankie Luvu to replace veteran Bobby Wagner in the starting lineup. Oweh, Chaisson, and Omenihu should bolster a pass rush that lost Jacob Martin and veteran Von Miller. Alongside a pair of recent high draft picks, Robertson and Witherspoon will attempt to make up for snaps lost with the departures of Marshon Lattimore, Jonathan Jones, and Noah Igbinoghene, while Cross should be an improvement at safety.
Despite the recent struggles of Payne and Kinlaw, the team already has enough salary sunk into the position, and there isn’t really an interior defender worth taking No. 7 overall. It’s probably safe to eliminate cornerback knowing the team added second-rounders in each of the past two drafts. The Commanders are also probably okay with the back end of their secondary being manned by Cross and Quan Martin, while Jeremy Reaves and Will Harris add depth. That leaves the inside and outside linebacker groups as the best areas to attack.
Schrager believes off-ball linebacker will be the play, projecting Ohio State’s Sonny Styles as the pick. Styles certainly could be a strong addition to the linebacking corps; he’s widely projected as the draft’s top option at the position. Wagner and Luvu dominated the snap share available at the linebacker position on Washington’s defense last year. Each player totaled over 1,100 snaps on defense, and the linebacker with the next-highest snap count topped out at 364. Even as a starter in Kansas City, Chenal was more of a rotation piece on the Chiefs defense. He didn’t even see half the snaps his fellow starters did.
Additionally, neither Luvu nor Chenal worked primarily off-ball last year. Both players served in fairly versatile roles by often lining up on the edge. Chenal split his time about 60-40 favoring off-ball work, while Luvu was much closer to 50-50. Because the Commanders lost their veteran, off-ball stalwart, Styles makes a ton of sense here. Installing the Buckeyes’ top inside linebacker prospect in the middle would allow for Luvu and Chenal to continue in their roaming, supportive roles.
The team could also look at edge rusher. Unfortunately, Styles’ fellow linebacker — and projected NFL edge rusher — Arvell Reese is expected to be long gone at this point in the draft. After Reese, there’s an expectation that one of either Texas Tech’s David Bailey or Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. will also be selected. There’s a strong possibility that the prospect that isn’t selected after Reese could make its way to Washington at the ninth pick.
Oweh, Chaisson, and Omenihu certainly improve the team’s pass rush over what was left following departures in free agency, but they have only one double-digit sack season between the three of them. If they get an opportunity to add Bailey or Bain in this spot, it may be hard to pass up that kind of value.
This also disregards the offensive side of the ball, where the departures of Deebo Samuel and Noah Brown make wide receiver a potential position of need, as well. Ultimately, several factors will affect the decision the Commanders make 12 days from now, and even those factors could change in the time between then and now. But if Schrager is correct, and the Commanders have defense in mind on Day 1, a linebacker could be an impact move for the franchise and defensive-minded head coach Dan Quinn.
Bengals Host Rueben Bain, Jacob Rodriguez
Thanks in part to a defense that ranked 30th in the NFL in scoring and 31st in yards, the Bengals sputtered to a 6-11 record in 2025. A healthy season from quarterback Joe Burrow would go a long way toward an improved record in 2026, but the Bengals are still in dire need of defensive help. They figure to focus on that side of the ball in the upcoming draft.
Holding the 10th overall pick and looking to boost a lackluster pass rush, the Bengals hosted Miami defensive end Rueben Bain on Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. There are serious concerns over Bain’s short arms, and some regard Miami teammate and potential first-rounder Akheem Mesidor as the better edge prospect. Although Mesidor is already 25, more teams than expected prefer him to the soon-to-be 22-year-old Bain, according to Albert Breer of SI.com.
While there may be leeriness toward Bain in some circles, the 6-foot-2, 263-pounder is widely considered a top-10 prospect. To finish off a terrific three-season run with the Hurricanes, Bain won ACC Defensive Player of the Year and was a consensus All-American in 2025. In addition to an FBS-high 83 pressures, he tallied 15.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks in 16 games.
The Bengals ended last year just 25th in sacks, which explains their interest in Bain. They also lost their best pass rusher, Trey Hendrickson, to the AFC North rival Ravens in free agency. While Hendrickson barely factored in during a seven-game, injury-wrecked 2025, he posted a league-leading 35 sacks over the previous two seasons. Expecting that type of production from Bain or anyone else would be unrealistic, but the Bengals would benefit from adding a new blue-chip talent on the edge.
Cincinnati signed former Seahawk Boye Mafe to a three-year, $60MM contract in free agency, though the team also lost Joseph Ossai to the Jets. That leaves the Bengals with Mafe, Myles Murphy and former first-round pick Shemar Stewart as their top edge rushers. The jury is still out on Stewart, a raw prospect they chose 17th overall last year, after he mustered just 11 tackles and a sack in an eight-game rookie season. Pro Football Focus ranked Stewart’s performance last among 119 qualifiers at his position.
Meanwhile, although there are questions over whether the Bengals will add a linebacker, they hosted decorated Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez on Friday, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. If Rodriguez falls to the Bengals’ second-round pick, they could consider snagging the 6-1, 231-pounder. The Bengals’ second selection slots in at No. 41, which is exactly where Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com ranks Rodriguez among this year’s prospects.
Rodriguez, who began his college career at Virginia, broke out at Texas Tech in 2024. Over 13 games, he racked up 127 tackles, 10.5 TFL, five sacks and three forced fumbles en route to first-team All-Big 12 honors. Last season was another first-team All-Big 12 showing for the 23-year-old Rodriguez, who notched 128 tackles (11 TFL), forced a whopping seven fumbles, intercepted four passes and recorded a sack. He earned unanimous All-America honors, took home major hardware (including the Bronko Nagurski Trophy for the best defender in college football) and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy race.
In moving on from Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson, the Bengals have turned over their linebacker group in the past year-plus. The team spent a second-rounder on Demetrius Knight and a fourth-rounder on Barrett Carter last spring. They took over as rookie starters, but neither thrived on a bottom-tier defense. Although the Bengals have not made any needle-moving additions at linebacker this offseason, that could change if they draft Rodriguez or another high-end prospect.
NFL Announces 16 Prospects Attending NFL Draft
There will be 16 players waiting in the green room when the NFL Draft kicks off later this month. The NFL announced the following attendees for the first night of the draft (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport):
- LB David Bailey, Texas Tech
- DE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (Fla.)
- DB Mansoor Delane, LSU
- DB Caleb Downs, Ohio State
- DE Keldric Faulk, Auburn
- DB Colton Hood, Tennessee
- WR Makai Lemon, USC
- RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
- OL Francis Mauigoa, Miami (Fla.)
- DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
- OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
- LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State
- QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
- LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
- WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
- WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
Of the 16 prospects invited to Day 1 of the draft, a whopping five of them are from one school: Ohio State. For comparison’s sake, the leader during last year’s draft was Alabama, who sent three prospects ot the green room. The Big Ten is the leading conference, with six prospects attending the first night of the draft.
Notably, expected first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza won’t be attending the draft, as the Indiana quarterback revealed that he’ll instead be celebrating with friends and family in Atlanta. That only leaves one signal-caller attending the event in Alabama’s Ty Simpson. There’s no guarantee that Simpson will even be selected on the first night of the draft, a situation we saw most recently when green-room attendee Jalen Milroe fell to the third round last year.
Chiefs To Host DE Rueben Bain
To no surprise, Rueben Bain remains one of the prospects taking several visits leading up to the NFL draft. The Miami edge rusher will meet with another interested team on Thursday.
Bain has a top 30 visit lined up with the Chiefs for today, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. That represents another team near the top of the first-round order which will meet in person with the 2025 ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Bain has previously taken visits with the Dolphins and Titans. Kansas City owns pick No. 9, which falls in between the Titans’ and Dolphins’ top selections.
The Chiefs have taken a look at some of the top receiver prospects in the 2026 class. Taking one would help an offense in need of a stronger showing in the passing game, but as expected Kansas City has looked into of number of pass rushers as well in recent days. The team has met with Ohio State’s Arvell Reese and Texas Tech’s David Bailey. Those two are expected to be the top edge rushers to come off the board, leaving Kansas City with the possibility of looking elsewhere at the position. That could very well result in Bain being selected.
During his three-year tenure with the Hurricanes, Bain amassed 20.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss. He earned first-team All-American honors for his play in 2025, a year in which he and teammate Akheem Mesidor helped lead Miami to the national championship game. The team’s pass rush shone during the College Football Playoff, and Mesidor is also seen as a first-round prospect. Despite the fact he will enter the NFL as a 25-year-old rookie, Mesidor was recently reported to be viewed by some teams as a better player than Bain.
In any event, bringing in a notable pass rush presence early in the draft could be key for the Chiefs. The team released Mike Danna earlier this offseason, and Charles Omenihu departed in free agency. George Karlaftis is on the books through 2030 and former first-rounder Felix Anudike-Uzomah is still in the fold. Adding a starting-caliber edge rusher would nevertheless be impactful for Kansas City’s defense, a unit which ranked just 23rd in sacks last season.
Bain has been the subject of questions regarding his arm length, although that may not be a major concern amongst NFL evaluators. Especially if that remains the case, he will not need to wait long to hear his name called on the opening night of the draft.
Teams Viewing Miami DE Akheem Mesidor As Better Than Teammate Rueben Bain?
After a run to the College Football Playoff Championship game, the Hurricanes are primed to send several standout players to the league. Two names in particular have frequented top-10 projections as draft pundits offer opinions on offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa and defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. A third player has frequently been linked to first-round mock drafts, and according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, some in the league believe he’s better than one of those other two.
That player would be none other than Bain’s fellow pass rusher Akheem Mesidor. Mesidor began his college football journey at West Virginia, where he made a big impact on the edge as a true freshman, recording five sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss. In Year 2 with the Mountaineers, the team opted to shift Mesidor inside to more of role on the interior line. Mesidor still produced, logging 4.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss, but opted to transfer and ended up in Coral Gables.
With Miami, Mesidor returned right back to a role on the edge, and he was impressive in doing so, leading the team with seven sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss. In 2023, Bain arrived as a true freshman, and when Mesidor was shut down with injury, missing all but three games, Bain asserted himself as a difference maker with 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. The next year, it was Bain’s turn to deal with injury, and though he played in nine games, he looked like a shell of his freshman self, logging only 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss while clearly limited due to injury. Mesidor didn’t fare too much better that year, registering only 5.5 sacks with nine tackles for loss.
Bain came back healthy this past season, and the duo immediately put NFL scouts on notice as they disrupted a top Notre Dame offensive line early and often to open the year, notably sealing the Hurricanes’ Week 1 matchup by meeting at the quarterback twice in the final two plays before a Fighting Irish false start ran the final seconds off the clock. Both pass rushers would go on to enjoy the best production of their careers, shining especially bright on the biggest stage. In four CFP games against Texas A&M, Ohio State, Ole Miss, and Indiana, Mesidor recorded 5.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss while Bain delivered five sacks and eight tackles for loss.
There’s certainly a case to be made for Mesidor, who hasn’t received as much love as Bain in early draft talks despite never being outshined by him on the field. Mesidor’s final 2025 figures (12.5 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss) did outpace Bain’s (9.5 sacks, 15.5 tackles for loss). So why isn’t he up in the top 10 with Bain? One theory might be drawn from looking at their time not playing together. When Mesidor was hurt, Bain stepped up and stood out as a true freshman. When Bain was hurt, Mesidor reverted back to his old West Virginia production despite being a fifth-year athlete.
Additionally, when they did play together, one could argue quite a bit of Mesidor’s success came as a result of the disruption or extra attention being paid to Bain on the other side. The same concept could certainly be attributed to Bain, too, but Mesidor drew fewer double teams throughout the season. That’s not to say that Mesidor can’t get it done on his own, though. Mesidor is seen as more of a pure pass rusher, with a full arsenal of attack moves and an effective plan of attack. Teams looking for the more talented pass rusher will see Mesidor as the superior talent, whereas Bain gains the edge with overall disruption.
Bain offers greater versatility along the line, though both have played both edge and interior snaps. Less reliant on an arsenal, though he still has one, Bain’s methods are violent, quick, and powerful. His ability to bring the fight to his opponent often overcomes the concerns over his shorter arm length while his incredible bend for his frame help him to evade and finish. Even without the pass rushing prowess, Bain’s 83 pressures in 2025 were the most in a season since 2014.
Both defensive ends do have flaws that draw the ire of some scouts and teams. Bain’s arms are seemingly a big concern, though it increasingly appears to be more of an issue in the media than in the actual NFL. Mesidor, after six years of college (thanks to COVID-19 and an injury redshirt), will be 25 years old when he’s drafted. Regardless, some teams will overlook these flaws and take a chance on the upside both players displayed at the college level of the game, and while some may view Mesidor as the more talented pass rusher, Bain is currently in line to hear his name called a bit earlier on in the evening.
DE Rueben Bain Jr. Visits Titans
The Titans hosted Miami edge rusher and projected first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. for a pre-draft visit this week, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe.
Bain, 21, is among the more polarizing prospects in this year’s class. He has posted elite production over the last three years (20.5 sacks, 33.5 tackles for loss), with almost half coming in his 2025 All-American campaign. However, his 30.825-inch arms are well below NFL standards for the position, raising concerns about his ability to translate his production to the pros.
However, Bain’s power and pass rushing profile are undeniably appealing. He logged a 23.5% pass rush win rate and a 92.4 pass rushing grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) last year, displaying an array of moves and a relentless desire to get to opposing quarterbacks. That has kept him in the conversation for a top-10, or even top-five, pick in April.
The Titans hold the No. 4 selection and need a young, high-upside edge rusher opposite recent trade acquisition Jermaine Johnson. Bain is best as a ‘hand-in-the-dirt’ 4-3 defensive end than as a standing outside linebacker in a 3-4, which requires more athleticism and versatility. That makes him an excellent fit for Robert Saleh‘s system that rarely asks defensive linemen to drop into coverage and instead encourages them to pin their ears back and attack the backfield. Bain’s physical play style, attack-oriented mentality, and dedication to his game are all major pluses, especially for a new coaching staff looking to establish their own culture in Tennessee.
Dolphins To Host DL Rueben Bain
Rueben Bain was one of the main attractions at Miami’s Pro Day on Monday. His attention will now turn to pre-draft visits, including one in a familiar setting.
Bain is set to meet with the Dolphins today, as detailed by Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. The rebuilding team approaches next month’s draft with a long list of positional needs for new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley to sort through. It comes as no surprise Bain is among the prospects who will receive a look during the evaluation process.
Over the course of his three seasons with the Hurricanes, Bain was an impactful presence along the edge. He set career highs in sacks (9.5), tackles for loss (15.5) and overall stops (54) this past season. That production helped lead Miami to the national championship game, with the team’s pass rush in particular driving its College Football Playoff success. Bain earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-American honors in 2025.
Production is not an issue in his case, but concerns have been raised about his arm length. Bain measured 30 7/8 inches at the Combine, a mark well below average for NFL pass rushers. At least some evaluators may be less worried on that front than others, though, something which helps Bain’s chances of remaining one of the top prospects in the 2026 class. A top-10 selection will be something to watch for, particularly if doubts about his ability to remain productive in the NFL are quelled over the coming weeks.
The Dolphins own pick No. 11, which may be too late for Bain to be within reach depending on how the top of the board shakes out during the opening round of the draft. Miami has plenty of other notable draft capital as things stand, however, including Denver’s top selection (No. 30) thanks to the Jaylen Waddle trade. A move up the order would not be difficult to pull off given Miami’s collection of five Day 2 picks.
Of course, the Dolphins have plenty of other options to consider with their top selections as they seek out needed improvements across the board. Their pass rush depth chart is currently topped by Chop Robinson and includes free agent signings Josh Uche and David Ojabo. A notable addition via the draft would make plenty of sense, and Bain figures to be one of the options receiving consideration from Miami.
NFL Teams Higher On DL Rueben Bain Than Draft Pundits?
Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. stirred up headlines at the NFL Scouting Combine when his arms measured at 30 7/8 inches, the third-lowest recorded arm length for an edge at the combine since 1999. According to Jason La Canfora, though, NFL teams and top personnel evaluators seem to care far less about the measurement than the media does.
A source that La Canfora described as “a top personnel evaluator with a proven track record” claimed that Bain’s arm length doesn’t tell the real story of his body type. Another evaluator asserted his focus on Bain’s wingspan differential or ape index, a measurement that focuses on arm length in proportion to the rest of a player’s body by subtracting their height from the combined length of their arms. Another stated plainly that “his arms are not going to be a problem.”
Multiple evaluators La Canfora communicated with thought Bain stood as good a chance as any of the other top few picks at landing in the No. 2 overall slot. They pointed to Bain’s maturity while at the same time valuing how much younger he is than other top pass rushers who utilized the transfer portal in college. There appears to be a growing sense that the people making Draft Day decisions prize Bain more than those who specialize in mock drafts, as La Canfora puts it.
One of those mock draft, college football experts in the media, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, had Bain far from the No. 2 overall pick in his most recent mock draft two weeks ago. Brugler continues to push the media narrative that Bain “remains a polarizing prospect among NFL teams,” claiming “he’s got a lot of fans and plenty of critics.” Brugler has the Hurricanes pass rusher going ninth overall to the Chiefs, with whom he would have a golden opportunity to learn alongside stellar defensive lineman Chris Jones.
With just over a month to go until the 2026 NFL Draft, utilizing only the two sources above, the NFL-media disconnect on Bain spans seven draft picks — from No. 2 to No. 9. Regardless of the potential for varying opinions, it seems even his biggest detractors don’t have Bain falling very far past the top 10, if that far at all. Somebody will be taking a chance on the Miami product on Day 1 of the draft. It only remains to be seen how far into the first round that will happen.
Miami DL Rueben Bain Won’t Participate In Combine Testing
Coming off a 2025 College Football Playoff championship run that fell just short, Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. has been one of the more controversial prospects in pre-draft discussions before today. Questions of tape vs. production vs. measurements have had draft pundits putting him anywhere from top three to late-first round on their draft boards. Bain seems to believe he’s done enough to prove his abilities, though, as he will not be participating in any on-field testing at the NFL Scouting Combine, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport.
Bain’s career in Coral Gables was a bit of a roller coaster. Many of the same questions plagued the Miami Central HS (FL) product coming out of high school, as his 6-foot-2, 250-pound frame detracted from his dominance on film. Still, as a consensus top-100 recruit, he made an immediate impact on the Hurricanes defense, registering 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. His sophomore year was plagued with injuries as Bain missed four games. The missed time and a slimmer frame seemed to contribute to his inability that season to find a rhythm and match the dominance he’d shown in Year 1.
This past season was a different story. Finally healthy and having added back some weight (up to 270 pounds), Bain looked much more like the menace from two years prior. Although his return to dominance made him the point of attention for every offense he went up against, Bain continued to make impact plays, either by disrupting with sacks and TFLs or by freeing things up for his teammates to create negative plays. Even so, Bain only accounted for 4.5 sacks and 7.5 TFLs through the regular season.
When the lights got brightest, though, Bain showed what he could do against the NCAA’s best competition. In a windy first-round playoff game in College Station, Bain’s three sacks and four tackles for loss shined on a day of little offense. In two games against the two Big 10 teams that entered the CFP ranked 1 and 2, Bain added another two sacks and four tackles for loss.
When the season came to an end, it was clear Bain’s impressive abilities had solidified him as a first-round talent, but draft pundits seemed to have concerns about his occasional disappearances from the stat sheet and his arm length. While his lack of consistent production is helped by the opportunities that his impact provides for his teammates, there have historically been concerns playing pass rushers with shorter arms on the outside in the NFL.
From the look of things early, though, Bain’s choice not to test could be well warranted. As defensive linemen, linebackers, and kickers reported today for team interviews and media availability, multiple reports suggested that no booth was more crowded than Bain’s. Regarding the questions of tape, production, and measurements, the collective media was dying to hear about that latter, main concern most draft pundits had pegged on Bain in the pre-draft process.
Bain relayed to the media that he had met with the Chiefs, Titans, Bengals, Cardinals, Commanders, Cowboys, Dolphins, Jets, and Saints. Throughout all of those conversations, he maintained that not a single team brought up any concerns about his arm length, per Davenport. He told reporters it was just “stuff you see on social media” and claimed that if the teams weren’t concerned about it then neither was he. Bain told the media he felt great about his interviews which had focused on his tape and impact, not his measurables.
According to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi echoed those sentiments, saying they were impressed with Bain’s power and mind in their meeting with him and that “short arms aren’t (an) issue.” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein also laid out a case for how the typical short-arm concerns don’t apply to a player like Bain, who often disrupts a blocker’s punch timing with his explosive get off and strong hands.
The reporting that he will not participate in on-field testing certainly is backed up by team’s focus on his tape, but it’s unclear if his refusal to test includes taking place in the combine’s official measurements. If there are any genuine team concerns on his arm length, and he doesn’t measure, it could certainly hurt his draft stock with those teams. But after hearing that his impact on the field was the focus with multiple teams, Bain may feel confident enough measure without any worry of poor measurements hurting his stock.