Why Not Rueben Bain?
April 9th, 2026
Miami edge Rueben Bain.
Joe doesn’t give a damn if a guy has a baby arm or not. If the man can punish quarterbacks, so what? He’s Joe’s kind of guy.
Researching edge rushers, Joe noticed some schlockers have Miami beast Rueben Bain as the No. 3 edge rusher in the draft.
The way Bucs coach Todd Bowles prefers best player available in the first round, Joe doesn’t know if the third-best pass rusher will be better than the best tight end or second-best cornerback.
Bain last year was a complete beast in the college football playoffs. Imagine that, a guy who comes to play in the biggest games.
So Joe checked out CBS analyst Emory Hunt, the Czar of the Playbook, and read what his Football Gameplan Draft Guide 2026 has to say about Bain.
Hunt thinks Bain is a baller.
* Elite level point of contact strength that makes him a chore to block over 60-minutes. Heavy handed puncher who has the ability to walk linemen back into the pocket w/leverage.
* In conjunction with the heavy hands, he’s got very active hands as well with the ability to combat the linemen who mostly out-reach him from an arm length perspective.
* Great sense of timing to make THE play at the most critical juncture. Excellent pursuit skills and effort that helps him excel on both ends of defense.
Here’s the thing about the short arms: Are we not to believe Bain didn’t play against decent if not good tackles in the playoffs? Are we really to believe all the tackles Bain faced in the playoffs were stiffs?
And Bain mauled these guys. Game after game in December and January.
But for “this Joe,” the same issue with drafting Bain at No. 15 applies for all edge rushers. This coaching staff can’t or won’t develop a rookie into a double-digit sack guy.
As Joe has written repeatedly about this Bain’s teammate Akheem Mesidor, the only way Joe would draft Bain is if the Bucs hire his position coach at Miami, Hall of Famer Jason Taylor. Make him Bain’s personal coach and give Taylor full autonomy to coach up Bain as he sees fit with zero interference.
If the Bucs agreed to that, then “this Joe” would be OK if the Bucs drafted Bain (or Mesidor). Otherwise, stay away from an edge rusher at No. 15.
If the Bucs can’t develop an edge rusher drafted in later rounds, at least it won’t sting as bad as throwing a first-round draft pick away.
"I can't get over what I saw in the College Football Playoff… this guy is 8 million miles per hour on every single snap."
More from @joelklatt on Rueben Bain ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/NHMUggaZgE
— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) March 17, 2026
April 9th, 2026 at 9:05 am
Not impossible, but VERY doubtful Bain is sitting there at 15.
April 9th, 2026 at 9:06 am
Didn’t Adrian Clayborne have small arms as well, his ceiling was a 6 sack season…
You can get away with things in college that you can’t in the NFL
April 9th, 2026 at 9:10 am
Rams have a history of drafting good pass rushers. The Bucs need to study their draft possess and mirror it in this draft class.
April 9th, 2026 at 9:11 am
I would sprint to the podium with Joey Galloway like speed if Bain was available at 15.
April 9th, 2026 at 9:14 am
Clayborn had Erb’s Palsy which is a nerve disorder.
April 9th, 2026 at 9:22 am
The Bucs are scary when it comes to drafting edge rush guys. Unless the guy comes with a full written guarantee I hope the Bucs do not draft an edge rusher with the first pick. He will be a bust I have no doubt. Yes they desperately need one and unfortunately would miss with the pick drafting one. We are still waiting for past draft picks to shock the world.
April 9th, 2026 at 9:28 am
Bucs are definitely drafting a pass rusher with a high pick this year.
Whether its on Day 1 or Day 2 – we’ll find out in a couple weeks….
I will be pleased if the first 3 picks (in whatever order) are Edge, DT and ILB.
Bolstering the Defensive front 7 with high end talent is what will help this Bucs team win games in 2026 – moreso than what any other positional additions could….
If the front 4/5 can stuff the run and get more consistent pressure on passing downs – and the LBers can cover the middle of the field better – the DBs we have now will do quite well.
I think our best bet if possible in this draft, is to trade back in rd 1 (gaining an extra day 2 selection) and then take our pick of either CJ Allen or Rodriguez to become our new stud in the middle at LB.
April 9th, 2026 at 9:35 am
Yeah that’s a no-brainer at 15. I think someone will drop to us because more WR will go earlier than people think. But not Bain. Maybe Styles which would be awesome.
April 9th, 2026 at 9:38 am
If Bain is there, you take him no question….
otherwise, trade down or select OG @ 15…
that’ll fix the run game and protect baker
GO BUCS!!!!
April 9th, 2026 at 9:39 am
Why would we not want Florida guys (Miami) I mean look what Sapp did for us! Bain or Mesidor at 15 if I was drafting this guys are elite and carried Miami to the championship game and balled out against elite players. One of those 2 should be our pick I know we are afraid of moving up but I would definitely move up to get Bain jr.
April 9th, 2026 at 9:42 am
If you are asking yourself if Bain played against high level tackles… then you are asking yourself is Mesidor played against high level tackles.
Mesidor was more productive. If you want a ready for the NFL pass rusher.
Here are stats from the championship game.
The average Indiana starter has 3.86 years of experience, or roughly the level of experience of a traditional fourth-year senior who would be in the range of 22 years old.
The average Miami starter has 3.91 years of experience.
April 9th, 2026 at 9:44 am
Clayborn looked like he was going to be something until he blew out his knee. He was never the same.
But he had a motor!
April 9th, 2026 at 9:54 am
Clayborn had palsy (partial paralysis) in his right arm – which is a different issue than the perceived disadvantage of having “small arms”…
Funny the mentions though – because Adrian Clayborn was the first thing that popped into my mind upon reading Joe’s initial sentence referencing “a baby arm(ed)” pass rusher….
April 9th, 2026 at 9:58 am
Bain would be an awesome pick. I am a Canes fan, so I have watched Bain play since he was a freshman. Not to take anything away from Jason Taylor, but he did not make Bain a great player. Bain was a baller the day his feet hit Greentree field. If the Bucs want a “plug and play” pass rusher, Bain is THAT guy.
April 9th, 2026 at 10:07 am
We shouldn’t panic over this year’s crop of edge rushers
We should wait until next season, when the pasture is greener
The Texas Longhorns Colin Simmons is one of the best I’ve ever seen play
That’s the guy we should go all in for in the 2027 NFL draft
April 9th, 2026 at 10:24 am
“I am a Canes fan, so I have watched Bain play since he was a freshman. Not to take anything away from Jason Taylor, but he did not make Bain a great player.”
Armondo Blount is the future
April 9th, 2026 at 10:32 am
I said before: our 1st, our 2nd, #3 in ’27 and #3 in ’28 and move UP to #8 and draft Bain. Otherwise this is a wasted article. He will never be there at #15.
April 9th, 2026 at 10:58 am
Why not Rueben Sandwich? Todd can coach it better, then eat it.