After dominating the league for the last few years, the Kansas City Chiefs have missed the playoffs, and for the first time in a while, they get a top-ten pick in the NFL draft. For 2026, they have the No. 9 pick, and one NFL insider believes they are not thinking about replacing the now-retired Travis Kelce just yet. Instead, they may be looking for an EDGE.
According to The NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, the Kansas City Chiefs will possibly use their No. 9 pick to get 6-foot-3 EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., a junior out of the University of Miami. He just played in the College Football National Championship Game but fell short against projected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza and the Indiana Hoosiers.
Jeremiah believes that Bain is a “perfect” fit for the Chiefs and will fit Andy Reid’s system quite well.
“Bain is my favorite fit for the Chiefs. Andy Reid has always had an appreciation for players with a junkyard dog mentality like Bain possesses, having coached Trent Cole and Brandon Graham in Philadelphia,” the insider explained.
In his junior year, Bain recorded 54 total tackles, 30 of them solo and 24 were assisted. He also scored 9.5 sacks, one FF and one interception. He was particularly impressive during the national championship game, managing to sack Fernando Mendoza and having eight total tackles, five of which were solo.
NFL Analyst Notes Possible Kansas City Chiefs Prospect’s Strengths and Weaknesses
Meanwhile, NFL analyst Lance Zierlein has compared possible Kansas City Chiefs draft pick Rueben Bain Jr. to Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham. He added that Bain has a hot temper but can tackle and swipe with ease, and is quite sturdy too.
The analyst noted that Bain displays an impressive combination of power and speed, who can take blocks with ease and also has a surprisingly fast charge that can catch opponents off-guard. However, he also has short arms and “average pursuit speed” that might have him left in the dust by faster opponents.
The analyst also noted that Bain was coached by NFL Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, best known for being one of the league’s greatest rushers, so he should know a lot about rushing opponents.
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