The Tampa Bay Buccaneers landed one of the biggest steals of the NFL Draft when they picked Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. at No. 15 overall.
He was widely expected to be picked in the top-10, so it was a pleasant surprise for Tampa Bay that he was somehow still available.
A big reason why this draft day steal was possible was that the Bucs got some help from external forces. The biggest storyline of the offseason so far is the Ravens and Raiders agreeing to terms on a blockbuster Maxx Crosby trade, before Baltimore abruptly pulled out of the deal. That maneuver quietly paid dividends for the Buccaneers.
Failed Raiders-Ravens Maxx Crosby trade opened the door for Buccaneers to draft Rueben Bain
If Baltimore had gone through with the trade, they would’ve traded the No. 14 overall pick, one slot ahead of Tampa Bay, to the Raiders.
In that scenario, the Raiders would have a massive need for an edge rusher after trading away Crosby, who has been their best defensive player for years.
Sitting at No. 14 overall, Las Vegas would’ve been the team to celebrate having Rueben Bain fall into their laps and fill their massive need as Crosby's replacemnt.
The Bucs would’ve then likely been forced to pivot to Bain’s teammate, Akheem Mesidor, possibly in a trade down scenario.
But everything worked out as it was meant to for all parties involved. Crosby gets to stay home in Las Vegas and be a part of the new era of Raiders football led by Fernando Mendoza.
The Ravens kept their draft picks and signed marquee free agent Trey Hendrickson to fill their pass rush need, before drafting Penn State guard Vega Ioane at No. 14 overall.
The Bucs of course, got to draft Bain, who they expect to be a cornerstone of their defense for years to come.
It was ultimately still a slimy move on the Ravens’ part to get cold feet and back out of a trade they agreed to by using a failed physical as a poor excuse, but it ended up benefiting the Buccaneers in the long run, so that’s water under the bridge.
Add us as a preferred source on Google