I scouted Reuben Bain Jr.
His run D is legit. As you would expect based on his build and reputation. He is compact at 6'3 270lbs and plays with a great anchor and power. He is hard to move off his spot and tends to win the power gain with his ability to get low and with his strength. He also has enough agility to not just hold a spot but push towards where he wants to go. His top tier run grade looks justified to me. If you were to say he is the best run defending ED is this draft you'd have a great case. I will wait on seeing more for that assessment myself, but i suspect when all is said and done it will be true for me as well.
But if you draft a DE in the first, the pass rush is the main dish. And his pass rush ability left me slightly underwhelmed. Not much, just slightly. His pressure rate wasn't as high as i wanted (eye ball pressure rate that is.. which are pressures which not only count on the stat sheet, but feel actually impactful) and a lot of his sacks didn't overly impress me. Some took too long on some and others he had cause he played OTs who looked way too slow getting into position off the snap.
His bend for his frame is insane. And his bull rush must be respected. He will get to you eventually if given time. But getting to you is not always enough in today's NFL. I really don't like Bain trying to chase down a mobile QB he forces off the spot. He will NEVER catch them in a foot race. Almost all of his pass rush game comes from either getting to you with his bend or getting to you with his bull rush. If he misses you once he gets to you he better hope someone else is there or the space is so tight there is no escape, cause the QB will escape from him and Bain doesn't have that sudden change of direction or instant acceleration or speed to chase down and finish. He is a bit limited in his skill set for a perceived top tier guy. It is either bull rush or bend around the edge. He will not win with pure speed to the outside to keep the OT on his heels, i was not impressed with any spin moves and set up of outside to suddenly inside didn't fill me with confidence at the next level. Yes he has a high 'win rate' but sometimes that win rate is deceptive.
Another negative about his game i noticed is the lack of PDs. You don't think about those plays much as they are not the main thing you look for from DEs, but they can be huge plays. Saving you from pass interference penalties or big completions. Sometimes a PD matters more than a sack. Bain has 2 in his entire career. His 6'3 height didn't help him here and he isn't active with his arms enough. That will only get worse at the NFL level and is a limit with the 6'3 player who often plays lower than that. This is why his only Int was kind of gift wrapped.
Overall i don't think Bain will be an elite or great pass rusher at the next level and he has some holes in his game that are not getting talked about enough when it comes to a top pick. That isn't to say i don't like him. He will make his presence felt as a pass rusher and the run D will be incredibly reliable. I look at Bain and while i see a plug and play good starter, I'm not confident i see a pro bowler here or pro bowl potential really. However he is an every down player, who will start instantly and make his presence felt. And while i may prefer a better pure edge rusher on 3rd and long, Bain is a guy i'd kick inside on such a down and be very happy with him there while keeping him on the field. I can say even with all the negatives i see, i can't image a play where he would be off the field. And he gives effort every time. Love to see that.
To me Bain is right on the first rounder line, and i am torn if i should go higher or lower. So i ask myself, how would i feel about the Pats getting Bain? I'd be okay with it. But i'd look for a pass rush specialist later. I wouldn't jump up and down and say 'what i steal', but i == i would term it appropriate value. So I'll say Bain gets a top 32 grade. However I don't think he has value till near the bottom of that round in most drafts.
