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A New York Jets helmet
Heading into the 2026 NFL Draft which is just about two months away, quite a few teams are going to be linked to having interest in Miami Hurricanes star pass rusher Ruben Bain Jr.
At this point in time, Bain is expected to be a top-five pick in the draft. However, there are many who believe that he will be taken with the second overall pick by the New York Jets.
Previously, the Jets were expected to target Oregon quarterback Dante Moore with the No. 2 pick. Unfortunately for New York, Moore decided to return for another season of college football with the Ducks. That leaves the team trying to figure out which direction to go.
Adding to the defensive side of the football would be wise. It wouldn’t get much better than Bain, who was a dominant pass rusher for the Hurricanes during the 2025 season.
New York Jets Predicted to Land Miami’s Ruben Bain Jr.
Pro Football Network’s Jacob Infante has released a new seven-round mock draft. In that mock draft, he projected Bain to be taken by the Jets at No. 2 overall.
“With multiple first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, the New York Jets have a good opportunity to accelerate their rebuild,” Infante wrote.
“They focus on the defensive side of the ball to begin this mock draft, seeing as though there isn’t a quarterback on the board worth taking at No. 2.”
Bain is coming off of a 2025 season at Miami that saw him rack up 54 total tackles to go along with 9.5 sacks, a forced fumble, an interception, and a defended pass. He was a big part of leading the Hurricanes to the National Championship, although Miami lost that game to the Indiana Hoosiers.
Throughout his entire three-year college career with the Hurricanes, Bain totaled 121 tackles, 20.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, an interception, and two defended passes.
Bain Would Fit the Jets’ Rebuild Perfectly
Ahead of the NFL trade deadline last season, the Jets had a fire sale. They moved on from star defensive lineman Quinnen Williams in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys.
Bain coming to town would help fill the void on the defensive front left by the trade deadline moves last season.
Standing in at 6-foot-3 and 275 pounds, Bain is an intimidating physical presence. His size and athletic ability would help New York turn things around defensively.
Aaron Glenn struggled in his first season with the Jets. During his time with the Detroit Lions as their defensive coordinator, he was considered to be one of the best minds on defense in the NFL. Perhaps drafting Bain will help him get New York’s defense back on track.
Evan Massey Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst located in Indianapolis, Indiana who covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. He has been featured on many publications, including Newsweek, Athlon Sports, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Sporting News, and many others. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son. More about Evan Massey
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