Buccaneers Made the Right Choice with Rueben Bain Jr.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had some decisions to make going into the NFL draft, and they nailed it when the team went for Rueben Bain Jr. as their 15th overall pick.

The edge is becoming one of the most expensive positions in the NFL, second only to quarterbacks. So, securing a franchise-level edge at a rookie rate in the NFL draft was a smart move for the Bucs.

Ben Solak of ESPN loves the pick. In a roundup of his thoughts on the various picks from the draft, he names Bain Jr. a possible Defensive Rookie of the Year.

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In the piece, he states that “Bain barely slips in below the threshold, as the Bucs snagged him at No. 15. A pro-ready run defender who has little competition on the depth chart, Bain is exactly the sort of player I look for as a Rookie of the Year candidate … save for one key issue.”

He adds, “He isn’t a high sack player. His short arms and favored power rush create a lot of disruption, but unless he lucks into some cleanup work, it’s hard to imagine Bain — who maxed out at 9.5 sacks in 16 games last season — suddenly becoming a double-digit sack artist in the league. Still, he might have enough TFLs and advanced stats to draw legit candidacy.”

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Why It Matters: Rueben Bain Jr. for the Buccaneers

Sure, you can point to Bain not being a high-sack player, but he’s a rookie and will have time to develop. Besides, having 9.5 sacks last season is nothing to wink at.

Bain Jr. feels like a natural fit for the Bucs’ defense. He's built to set an edge, plays with real urgency in his hands, and doesn’t get moved easily in the run game. There’s still polish needed as a pass rusher, but Tampa Bay has a track record of turning that kind of raw power into something useful fast.

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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 4:10 PM.