The NFL draft is all about getting good value. Maximizing the talent you get and minimizing the investment of resources. So if you get the best player in the draft with the 50th pick then you had a really good draft and if you get the 50th best player with the first pick then you had a really bad draft.
This is something that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been very good at in recent years. It always seems like good players slide to them and it has resulted in a very good roster. Don’t be shocked if we see that again this year.
In fact, the Bucs could fall into getting the best defensive lineman in the entire draft. That player is star Miami defensive end Rueben Bain. It might sound crazy, but the draft process can be that way at times.
Here’s How The Buccaneers Can Steal An Elite Talent
First of all, let’s clarify what Bain is exactly. If you haven’t been watching the college football playoffs, he’s an absolute wrecking crew on the line of scrimmage. He’s the best player on a Hurricanes team that will be playing for a national championship.
As a true junior Bain won the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year award for 2025. He logged 13.0 tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks this year. On top of that, he is a very good run defender who makes everyone around him better.
At 6’2 and 275 lbs, Bain is a load to handle off the line of scrimmage. He plays with the power to collapse the pocket and reset the line of scrimmage. This is not an easy man to push around.
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However, he also has a decent get off that he combines with surprisingly good flexibility and bend. So while power might be his calling card, it’s the way he bends the edge that serves as his knockout punch. A great compliment to his primary strength.
Of course, no matter what he is doing it comes with good technique. He uses his hands very well and has a knack for shedding blockers. Blocking him is like trying to push a car out of wet mud; slippery and difficult to move.
This is truly one of the more impressive prospects in this year’s NFL draft. So the real question becomes, how could he possibly fall to the Bucs? For that I rely on those with far more insight to the process than what I have.
“The Beast”
Dane Brugler is a draft analyst for the Athletic and widely regarded as one of the best and most connected evaluators in the business. Every year his draft guide called “The Beast” is full of great insight on these prospects. It’s safe to say that he leaves no stone unturned in his research.
Last month Brugler put out a tweet that described Bain as being “one of the more polarizing players in the class.”. He went on to say “Plenty of day two grades from NFL scouts.”. He referenced Bain’s short arms and indicated that he might be a guy who is viewed as a bit of a tweener with the build of an undersized defensive tackle.
If Brugler reports it, then I believe it to be true. And while my personal evaluation shows Bain to be a very good player, it is absolutely possible that the NFL could be lower on him. It feels like we see a player like this slide every year with guys like Lions safety Brian Branch and Browns tight end Harold Fannin come to mind in recent years.
Fortunately, I don’t believe this physical profile will be a concern for the Bucs. Jason Licht has shown that he’s not scared off by short arms. He drafted right tackle Luke Goedeke and defensive tackle Calijah Kancey who have turned out to both be very good players despite having shorter than average arms. If the talent and intangibles are what Licht is looking for then he’s proven that he won’t hesitate.
I do think the talent and work ethic are both absolutely great with Bain, but I won’t be shocked if he slides come draft night. The NFL often does this with players who don’t fit a specific physical prototype. Let’s just hope that Bain falls far enough to where the Buccaneers have a chance to draft him themselves.
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