When both new head coach Jeff Hafley and GMJJon-Eric Sullivan set foot in Miami, they promised they would rebuild this team from the ground up, focusing on key building blocks that could point towards a strong future. With a draft visit from a hometown hero today, they could make that happen while also ingratiating themselves to the fanbase.
While many people believe that the hometown legend the Dolphins would be monitoring is Miami O-lineman Francis Mauigoa, it is their star edge rusher that has earned the Dolphins’ interest.
A Hometown Star with First-Round Potential
Rueben Bain Jr. is one of the most intriguing edge rushing prospects in the entire draft simply because of his power and speed blend. While there has been some concern surrounding his arm length after the combine measurements, there is still heavy interest at the top of the draft in Bain’s abilities.
His stats with the Hurricanes provide ample proof that he could be a stud for his hometown team. In 38 career starts with the program, Bain had 131 tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss, and 20.5 sacks. Last year, there was perhaps no defensive player better in the College Football Playoff than Bain, as he racked up 16 pressures and four sacks against elite O-line talent.
If you look even further at the advanced metrics, Bain grades out as one of college football’s most elite talents. Out of 872 qualified edge rushers, Bain ranked 3rd with a 92.8 grade, showcasing that fact that despite several questions about his sizer and length, he is still someone who can stand out at the NFL level.
Betting on Traits Over Measurements
Most importantly, for the Dolphins, it’s not as if a top 30 visit is being wasted on Bain either. Because of his hometown status, today’s visit will not count towards Miami’s permitted visits with their top 30 players. Even more significant is that Bain could realistically be a player Miami could be looking at later in the first round due to NFL team’s reluctance to draft him. After all, his arm measurements may turn some teams off.
For the Dolphins, their patience could be rewarded, as there are several prime examples of edge talents overcoming their arm length to be elite athletes, such as Micah Parsons and Trey Hendrickson.
For Jon-Eric Sullivan, working to acquire a player like Bain is nothing new, as it was he who made the big move to get Micah Parsons for the Packers last offseason. Now, he may not even have to work as hard to not only land a great player, but to maintain a homegrown pipeline of talent.
No matter what the Dolphins decide, establishing that Miami connection could be a positive takeaway in what could be a highly telling offseason for the new regime. If both Hafley and Sullivan want to live up to the promises they set out, looking at homegrown talent is a key step to earning the trust of the fanbase.
Now, it will be all about seeing whether or not they will be able to acquire Bain in the draft when all is said and done.
Christopher Sheppard Christopher Sheppard is a passionate and knowledgeable sports journalist based in Englewood, NJ pursuing a role in the sports media industry. He covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, focusing on the Dolphins, Chargers, and Buccanneers. More about Christopher Sheppard
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