Jason Licht might have pulled off the best pick of the NFL Draft when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Rueben Bain Jr. with the 15th overall pick. Even with concerns about the edge rusher's arm length, nobody expected him to fall that far.
The Bucs were prepared to pivot if he didn't drop to them, but the alternative would have been much worse. Licht revealed on Thursday that the team's top option would have been to trade back if Bain was not on the board.
On the Up & Adams show, Licht said, "We talked about moving back to pick up, you know we had a group of players we still really liked, that we could move back, maybe pick up some extra picks or a picks and still take one of the three or four players that we really liked in that spot. So, without naming names, you know I don't want to dwell on the past. Let's just dwell on what happened. We're really excited."
Buccaneers' draft backup plan will make fans thankful for Rueben Bain
Licht isn't the only one excited about the Bain pick. Buccaneers fans have already embraced the edge defender as a superstar. The selection has been widely regarded as one of the best in the first round.
It's no surprise that he was the top option for Tampa Bay. The former Miami star is a force against the run and a terror for opposing quarterbacks. He could instantly become the best player in the Bucs' defensive front seven.
Hopes of trading down are also far too predictable. Since Licht took over as general manager, the Buccaneers have traded back four times in the first round. He's never traded up on Day One of the draft.
Typically, trading down is good practice. You get more picks, and therefore, more chances to add good players. But this draft class was unique in that it had very few elite prospects. The Bucs were in an enviable position at No. 15, able to select a top player or move up for one they loved. If they had moved back, they likely would not have found a player to shape the defense around.
Thankfully, Bain fell right into their laps. Even if he doesn't end up being the star that fans expect, nobody will blame Licht for making the pick. This was clearly the best possible scenario on draft night.
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