Christmas came early for the Bucs.

Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht didn’t come right out and say it, but he and his staff were a little caught off guard that pass rusher Rueben Bain, the Miami Mauler, fell in their lap last night.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Licht said when asked if his first-round raft pick was just too good to pass on.

“We think very highly of him, obviously, we think he’s a great player.

“There were very few scenarios where we thought he’d be there, but there [were] scenarios, and we’re very excited. [I] probably have never seen a more excited draft room.”

“Very few” means Licht and his staff thought there was barely a prayer Bain would be there at No. 15.

Bucs coach Todd Bowles likes to say you go for best player available in the first round and in the second round, you attack needs. So it seems the Bucs got both the best player available and the greatest need. That doesn’t often happen.

What does Licht like so much about Bain?

“I love that he’s very unique where he’s got a great blend of power and athleticism,” Licht said. “He can bend, he’s got get-off, he’s very powerful, he’s got very explosive not just athleticism, but powerful hands, powerful strength and he plays very edgy. He plays with a chip on his shoulder.”

Licht made it a point to get more violent players on the defense, and boy was Licht right about that. The Bucs were a soft, quitting defense last year. That defense badly needed some a-holes.

Joe’s not saying Bain is an a-hole but he plays like one.

"At what point did the lack of length in his arms prevent him from being effective in college football?"@BMac_SportsTalk on Rueben Bain Jr. 👀 pic.twitter.com/PRUdKvVTz9

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) February 26, 2026