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Miami Hurricanes edge defender Rueben Bain Jr.

The Baltimore Ravens could use some youth — some vigor — on a quickly aging and injured defensive front that features 31-year-old edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and not much else.

They could give themselves a quick infusion of talent by drafting University of Miami do-it-all defensive lineman Rueben Bain at No. 14 overall, which ESPN’s Field Yates predicted they will do in his final mock draft released on Thursday.

“The Ravens’ pass rush will be much better with Trey Hendrickson in tow, but this pick represents a blend of remaining need and value,” Yates wrote. “Bain is a rugged, powerful pass rusher who doesn’t appear to have the ideal size (30⅞-inch arm length specifically) and athleticism for the position, but that’s not enough to drop him any more than this. Baltimore’s 30 sacks in 2025 was its second fewest in the team’s 30-year history, per ESPN Research.”

The 1st round of the NFL draft begins at 8:30 p.m. EST in Pittsburgh.

Rueben Bain’s Draft Stock Tumbles After Scandal

 Bain’s draft stock has been dropping since news broke on April 12 that he was involved in a fatal car crash in 2024, in which he was cited for careless driving.

The details of the car crash at the heart of the scandal don’t paint Bain in a favorable light after he led the Hurricanes to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in his final college season and was arguably college football’s singularly dominant defensive player.

“Rueben Bain, a projected top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, was involved in a fatal traffic collision in Miami in March 2024, according to records and reports,” The Read Optional’s Oliver Connolly wrote on Sunday. “The incident has not been previously reported. Bain, then a sophomore at the University of Miami, was driving on Interstate 95 in Miami at 4 a.m. on 17 March 2024 when his vehicle struck another car before careering into concrete barriers on both sides of the highway, according to police crash records.  One of four passengers in Bain’s car, Destiny Betts, a 22-year-old college student from Georgia who was visiting Miami for spring break, suffered incapacitating injuries and was rushed to the Ryder Trauma Center from the scene. She never regained consciousness. Betts died on 13 June 2024, after spending almost three months in a coma.”

Ravens Have Huge Questions on Defensive Front

Bain could very well have a generational impact wherever he ends up because of his versatility — he’s a 3-down defender who could line up everywhere from edge rusher to a defensive end in a 3-4 alignment or, in a pinch, could slide down to defensive tackle when he has to.

That would be really helpful for the Ravens right about now as NFL All-Pro Nnamdi Madubuike reportedly underwent neck surgery just last week for an injury suffered in Week 2 of the 2025 regular season that cost him 15 games last year.

There’s no guarantee Madubuike even plays in 2026. After signing Hendrickson to a 4-year, $112 million contract, the Ravens just need someone dynamic to put anywhere on the defensive front to unlock his upside.

That player could very well be Bain, who NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein compared to 2-time Super Bowl champion and NFL All-Pro defensive lineman Brandon Graham, who the Philadelphia Eagles drafted with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft.