Buccaneers rookie Rueben Bain Jr. is already showing signs of greatness

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers struck gold landing Rueben Bain Jr. with the 15th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Bain was widely expected to be off the board long before then, and the Bucs had one of the draft’s premier edge rushers, their biggest position of need, fall right into their laps. 

The expectations are sky-high for Bain, as the Buccaneers hope he becomes the game-changing pass rusher they’ve been missing. Nobody is more determined than Bain to make that a reality, as the rookie continues to impress with a veteran-like work ethic.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Rueben Bain Jr. is putting in the work to be great

Bain has been seen staying after practice each day, continuing to work by himself to get extra reps. 

After Tuesday’s practice, Logan Robinson of Bucs Gameday filmed Bain working 45 minutes after practice in full pads, braving a 105-degree heat index.

Not only did he put in the extra work independently, but JoeBucsFan noted that the rookie dragged the heavy equipment 50+ yards to set up his own drills. It’s a small detail that says a lot about Bain, as he’s already leading by example and building winning habits before even playing a snap at the professional level. 

It’s no surprise to the Buccaneers, who knew the kind of character they were getting when they drafted Bain. During his pre-draft interview, which was partially released via the team’s behind-the-scenes docuseries, In The Current, it was apparent that Bain was the unquestioned leader of the Miami Hurricanes defense. 

Bain told the Buccaneers that he watches film every day, and he made it mandatory for the defensive line to watch film together. As the leader of the unit, if they didn’t oblige, he made them roll the length of the field as punishment. 

That kind of dedication helped make Bain one of the most disruptive edge defenders in the nation. He totaled 83 pressures in 2025, tied for the most ever in the PFF college era. He recorded 20.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss over the last three seasons. 

When the Bucs drafted Bain, they didn’t just get an impact pass rusher. They got an alpha who will lead by example and hold himself and his teammates accountable. 

The Buccaneers wanted to shed the “soft” label defensively and bring about a culture change this offseason, and they couldn’t have added a better person to spark that culture change than Bain. 

He looks like a potential cornerstone player who will wear the captain’s “C” on his chest in Tampa Bay for years to come.

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