Tampa Bay GM surprised Reuben Bain Jr. was available, 'Would have taken him a lot higher'

There is truth to the statement that good things can come to those who wait. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers weren't thinking that Rueben Bain Jr. would be available to them at No. 15, but as the draft began to take shape, what seemed like a long shot became a reality. and the Bucs did not hesitate to draft the Miami Hurricanes All-American defensive end.

ESPN's Jenna Laine reports that Bucs GM Jason Licht ran a ton of draft simulators ahead of Thursday and there was an extremely low percentage that the 2025 ACC Defensive Player of the Year would be available for the Bucs at that spot.

"We would've taken him a lot higher," Licht said, according to Laine. 

Bain had been projected to go in the top 10 and some mock drafts had him inside the top five, but there were always some physical concerns — his arms measured out at 30 7/8 inches, which are some of the shortest for a defensive end that have ever been recorded since the NFL Combine began taking arm measurements for the position. Bain was also involved in a fatal car accident in 2024, in which he was cited for careless driving. The accident resulted in the death of a female passenger.

Bucs were thrilled to see Rueben Bain Jr. there at No. 15

Bain fills a major need for the Bucs, who needed to overhaul parts of their season after a disappointing second half of last season. The team's inability to get to the quarterback put a lot of pressure on a secondary that was struggling to keep up. 

"I think you add a player like Rueben, and he does what we think he can do, it opens a lot of things up," Licht said. "It makes everyone along the d-line better. You can't have too many [pass rushers]. I say it every year, but it just doesn't work out that we can draft one at a premium, but now we did. Hopefully we can reap the rewards here. "

Bain's slip in the draft to Tampa Bay reminds many older fans of the 1995 NFL Draft when Warren Sapp fell from an expected top-five pick to No. 12 after rumors of marijuana usage surfaced. The Bucs were there to pick Sapp back then, and he went on to have a Hall of Fame career. One can only hope that history repeats itself over 30 years later. 

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