While Mickey Loomis was at LSU Pro Day, Kellen Moore was at Miami Pro Day. The New Orleans Saints head coach got a front row seat to potential NFL Draft options, such as Rueben Bain, Akheem Mesidor and Keionte Scott.
At this point in the process, it's usually not much more to discern from the process. Newly signed quarterback Zach Wilson may argue that and advocate for the value of Pro Days. For most players, however, it's just confirming things.
Bain brought two new things to the table at the Pro Day. He showed a surprising level of athleticism in pass coverage drills, and he introduced a new way to shut down the arm length critiques. The former is more valuable, as that's something he'll be asked to do occasionally in Brandon Staley's defense. His comments on arm length, though, explain his mentality to the game.
Rueben Bain destroyed the arm length critique with one comparison
It's draft season, and one of the biggest aspects of draft season is comparisons for current prospects. Bain put a spin on the usual format of comps. Bain didn't compare himself to an edge rusher in the league already or a legend at the position. He ventured out of the sport, and it was genius.
In an interview with Cameron Wolfe, Bain compared himself to legendary boxer, Mike Tyson. It's an odd comparison, but Bain tied it together well. "Mike Tyson wasn’t the tallest. He wasn’t the longest. But when you felt him, you felt him. You kept your distance."
Bain isn't wrong. Tyson packed a strong punch, so who cares that his length wasn't the best. Tyson was good at getting inside an opponent's reach, and it didn't matter at that point. He knew how to mitigate what was a disadvantage and use his strengths to find success.
Change Tyson to Bain in the previous paragraph, and you have good idea of how Bain rushes the passer. He's aggressive and violent. He isn't knocking players out like Tyson, but Bain displaces offensive linemen once he gets inside.
Tyson had 71 inch wingspan and Bain measured in with the second shortest arms in the history of the Combine. So far, neither has seem overly impacted by the lack of reach. By this point, the truth is every team has made their mind up about how they feel about Bain's arm length. No amount of comparisons will change that. Still, it was an accurate description of Bain's mentality to rushing the passer.