Former Miami linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. saw his name called in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to keep the homegrown Florida talent in-state, addressing one of their biggest needs from the 2025 season.
While Bain Jr. had little to no concerns about his on-field play, upon Bain Jr.’s selection, the ESPN infobar highlighted the Miami star’s arm length, something that was clearly one of the few shortcomings of the 15th overall pick.
Michael Irvin took issue with the same, calling out the NFL Draft broadcaster for ‘assaulting’ Bain instead of focusing on the linebacker’s strengths. During an appearance on Dan Sileo’s ‘Outspoken’, Irvin commented:
“They don’t ever stop trying to somehow, someway assault us. And ESPN, these mother… when he was walking, did you see the infobar? It had his arm length. I said, ‘Are you sh*tting me? You’re supposed to have a highlight here, not a lowlight!’ Not something that everybody’s been talking about, that has made this man’s value fall down.”
The three-time Super Bowl champion took offense to the broadcast putting an asterisk on the Miami star’s ‘incredible’ night with a ‘classless’ act. Especially when Rueben Bain Jr. has accumulated several feats during his time with the Hurricanes that could have been highlighted instead.
Bain Jr. was named the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, followed by an ACC Defensive Player of the Year win in 2025 as well as a Consensus All-American selection. Bain Jr. accounted for three sacks and four TFLs in the Hurricanes’ national championship run, overcoming multiple top 10 opponents.
Reports About Rueben Bain Jr.’s Accident Resurfaced Days Before Draft
While Rueben Bain Jr.’s tape showed zero concerns, indicating the Miami LB could face a draft day fall, reports of his accident in 2024 that led to the death of a passenger caused doubts in multiple camps.
According to reports, Bain Jr. was driving a Land Rover SUV with passengers at 4 a.m. when the vehicle rear-ended another car before swerving off into multiple concrete barriers before coming to a stop on the shoulder of the highway.
One of the passengers, Destiny Betts, was in a coma for four months before passing away. No field sobriety tests were conducted, and charges against Bain Jr. were dropped.
Read More:
Mel Kiper Mock Draft: 5 Takeaways As Rueben Bain Jr. Maintains Top 10 Spot Amid Resurfaced Past
Rueben Bain Jr. NFL Draft Projections: Top 3 Potential Landing Spots for Miami’s DE
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