The Tampa Bay Buccaneers landed their best case scenario in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, bagging future superstar edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. with the No. 15 overall pick after he was viewed as a consensus top five pick in the class just a month prior.
Buccaneers fans are ecstatic to have Bain Jr. in the building. Not only was he one of the best players in college football at any position last season, but he is also a ready made starter at the biggest position of need. Tampa Bay were getting torn to shreds by top quarterbacks like Matthew Stafford, who had all day to throw against the Bucs with nose tackle Vita Vea being the standout pass rushing force and YaYa Diaby the best edge rusher on the team.
It isn't just the fans who are excited about Bain Jr., though. Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend and former cornerback Ronde Barber played with Simeon Rice and Warren Sapp, so he knows a thing or two about great defensive players who can get after the quarterback. And he sounds awfully excited about Rueben Bain Jr. being a Buccaneer.
Rueben Bain Jr. could be the Bucs' Will Anderson
Speaking on The Ronde Barber Show, via Joe Bucs Fan, Ronde Barber praised Bain Jr. effusively and compared some elements of his game to the best pass rushers in the business today. Barber said, "He’s built like Brandon Graham kinda; that’s a really clean comparison for me. He’s got like a motor like the guy that won Rookie of The Year [in 2023], Will Anderson. Right? He’s got a motor like Will, like just never, never, ever stops. And that will in itself create a lot of opportunities and probably some production for [Bain] this year. But, I mean, I think his versatility makes him like almost a can’t-miss. … I think we should expect him to have a big return this season.”
Hearing Barber speak about Bain Jr. like that will only make Buccaneers fans even more hyped to see him out there on Week 1. Brandon Graham was a crazy efficient edge rusher who played a crucial role in the Philadelphia Eagles winning a Super Bowl and was an absolute nuisance to opposition quarterbacks, impossible to deal with for opposing offensive tackles.
And everyone saw what Will Anderson Jr. did last season, including in the postseason. If Rueben Bain Jr. can get after the quraterback at that level for Tampa Bay and make that sort of an impact immediately, the Bucs will be in business.
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