The Kansas City Chiefs need a pass rusher, and Rueben Bain Jr. offered an interesting comp for the Chiefs to consider.
It’s time for the NFL draft hype machine to go into overdrive, and the Kansas City Chiefs are a big part of the hype this year. Normally the Chiefs are an afterthought due to their draft position, but now they have two first-round picks as they look to retool after a disappointing 6-11 season.
One of the primary candidates to be a first-pick for Kansas City is defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. of the Miami Hurricanes, but Cain is currently being put through the wringer for having short arms. He measured out at 30-7/8 inches at the NFL combine, so now Cain is this year’s T-Rex lineman, replacing left tackle Will Campbell of the New England Patriots.
Bain is trying to dispel the notion that this is an issue, and he made an interesting comp in his interview with Cameron Wolfe of NFL Media, bringing up the specter of former (?) boxer Mike Tyson.
“Like Mike Tyson. . . he wasn’t the tallest guy. He wasn’t the longest-limbed guy,” Bain told Wolfe in a quote picked up by Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. “But when you felt him, you felt him. You kept your distance.”
Just to complete the tale of the tape, Tyson is 5’ 10” and weighed in at 218 pounds in his prime, and his 71-inch reach put him at a reach disadvantage against most of his opponents, who had reaches of 76-84 inches. As Williams noted, it usually didn’t matter.
Bain, meanwhile, is listed at 6’3”, and he says he’s now at his ideal weight of 265 pounds. He had 9.5 sacks for the Hurricanes last season, and a total of 20.5 for his college career.
“I’m at a new weight, a new body type, a new style, and I’m just the same player,” Bain said. “No matter what I’m doing, I can do anything in the game of football.”
Whether the Chiefs agree is an entirely different matter. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has expressed a preference for long-arm pass rushers in the past, but he’s hinted that he might make an exception for a player with Bains’ level of talent.
None of this matters at the moment, although it makes fora fun read up to a point. What does matter slightly is that Bain has done pre-draft meetings with the Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals so far. If he does one with the Chiefs, it’s time to pay attention.
In the meantime, we can all take heart that Bain plays a sport where everyone wears helmets, so the risk of Bain pulling an Evander Holyfield on an opponent are minimal until those post-game handshakes happen.