Bucs selected Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

24 April 2026

Tampa could use a versatile pass rusher after ranking dead last in QB pressure rate last season. Bain Jr. (6’2/263) put together a complete, high-impact season as the centerpiece of Miami’s front, finishing with 46 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks while posting an elite 90.9% tackle rate. His 21 havoc plays made him one of the most disruptive defenders in the nation, as evidenced by his 79.3% run-tackle rate and eight credited run stops. As a pass rusher, Bain generated a staggering 80 total pressures, good for a sterling 13.1% pressure rate, while creating 10 sacks overall and forcing a fumble in the process. He consistently won early in downs, recording a first pressure on 45 snaps with an average time-to-pressure of 2.71 seconds, underscoring his explosiveness off the ball. While he didn’t test at the Combine, much debate was had about his 30 ⅞” arms that are the third-shortest ever recorded for an EDGE player. Taken together, Bain’s profile reflects a tenacious, every-down defensive end who combined power, effort, and finishing ability to anchor one of the nation’s most stingy defensive fronts.