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Rueben Bain Jr. #4 of the Miami Hurricanes is a Dallas Cowboys target in the NFL Draft.

If you thought it was just his short arms that potentially cleared the way for the Dallas Cowboys to see star pass-rusher Rueben Bain drop to No. 12 in next week’s NFL draft, it turns out that’s not the only issue at play. The Cowboys had a meeting with Bain last month, among the first of the pre-draft slate, and there’s no doubt the interest in him is clear. but there’s a lingering issue that has some teams skittish on Bain heading into the draft–a 2024 car accident in which Bain was cited for careless driving, and accident that eventually led to the death of one of Bain’s passengers.

Ollie Connolly of the Read Optional broke the story and wrote on Twitter/X on Sunday, “News: Reuben Bain was cited for careless driving after a March 2024 crash in Miami that left a passenger in a coma. That passenger, a 22-year-old student, died three months later. NFL teams are aware and investigating, per sources.”

The consensus among most draft reporters in the wake of the story was that NFL teams have known about the crash for some time and have mostly done their due diligence on how or whether the news affects Bain as a draft prospect.

Rueben Bain NFL Draft Impact ‘Tough to Say’

Beat writer Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who first reported Bain’s meeting with Cowboys brass, outlined in detail what’s known about Bain’s situation, in a post on Twitter/X. He pointed out that there are no criminal charges still hanging over Bain, and that even the careless driving charge was dismissed. He added that there is a chance that a civil suit by the passenger’s family is still a possibility.

As for Bain’s draft stock, obviously, an incident like that does not help anything. But, Harris wrote, “How could it affect his draft positioning? Tough to say. If more concrete info (which has been tough to come by) is released ahead of April 23, that could help offer clarity to that question.”

And, of note, too, Connolly wrote on Twitter/X: “One league source aware of the 2024 incident: ‘it doesn’t feel like [Bain] has been transparent with us.'”

Cowboys Have NFL Draft Interest in Rueben Bain

The Cowboys have, obviously, long had interest in Bain, and the team badly needs more edge-rusher help. Dallas traded for Rashan Gary from the Packers last month, but are still light on talent at the spot, and bringing in Bain would be a boost.

While most NFL draft gurus are putting Bain well ahead of the Cowboys’ clutches–anywhere from No. 3 to No. 9–there have been some recently who have said that Bain could be the top-ranked star who could slide down to Dallas. But it is not clear whether the lingering effects of the car accident might knock the Cowboys out of the running for Bain.

‘A Perfect Fit’

Among the analysts who see the Cowboys and Bain as a match is ESPN’s Matt Miller, who wrote this week on Twitter/X in a list of things he was predicting, “Rueben Bain outside top 10.” ESPN’s Kevin Clark also laid out the possibility that the Cowboys could land Caleb Downs or Bain at No. 12, and would become a “contender” if they did.

And Bucky Brooks of NFL.com has Bain dropping to the Cowboys at No. 12, with the site noting, “EDGE rusher Rueben Bain Jr.’s physicality makes him a perfect fit for the Dallas Cowboys with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.”