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 9:58 am
I don’t believe all rookies need to be developed into a double digit sacks rusher
Texas Longhorns Edge Rusher Colin Simmons is one of the best I’ve ever seen play
He’s ineligible for the draft, last year he was a true Sophomore
That’s the guy we should trade all our marbles for next season
We shouldn’t trade up this year, we shouldn’t even panic for a Edge Rusher
Next year we should be all in for drafting OLB Colin Simmons
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.
April 9th, 2026 at 11:50 am
Can’t wait for the Bucs to kick @ss this year so all these trolls can hang up their little troll ballet slippers and disappear into the dust from whence they came.
April 9th, 2026 at 11:51 am
“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.” – Joe
Insane.
April 9th, 2026 at 11:54 am
Kancey 2.0
April 9th, 2026 at 11:56 am
So, here’s the thing…these rankings never go the way people expect in a draft. Guys ranked high fall every year because of red flags.
Now, I don’t watch college football, so I’m no authority on it or its players, but my concern with Rueben Bain is that it mentions he did great in the playoffs. What about the regular season? How did he do then?
The small arms are enough to cause him to fall. Teams are fickle. Who have been the best edge rushers with short arms to do great in the NFL? Are there a lot of them? How rare is it that one can become elite?
I ask these questions because I think its possible he could fall if there are negative answers to those questions. If he does fall, he might be there at round 2 or slightly later, right?
April 9th, 2026 at 11:58 am
Lakeland Says:
“We shouldn’t panic over this year’s crop of edge rushers
We should wait until next season, when the pasture is greener”
Assuming we could get the guy you want next year could be a mistake.
April 9th, 2026 at 11:59 am
According to that new IQ AI thing they have on NFL website, there are a lot of Cornerbacks who could go in round 1. I’m skeptical, but if it turns out that way…
April 9th, 2026 at 1:06 pm
There’s no way he falls that far – if he does, then there’s something else beyond his t-rex arms at work.
April 9th, 2026 at 1:09 pm
Bonzai,
Sometimes you have to look into the near future
Especially if you’re an NFL GM
And l think next year draft will be loaded at the top
And there might be a run on quarterbacks
We have to position ourselves for next year draft
April 9th, 2026 at 1:21 pm
I mean we passed on Cam Jordan for a guy with Erb’s palsy. When it comes to pass rushers, this organization has been cursed since 1976.
April 9th, 2026 at 1:42 pm
That’s the only way I wouldn’t trade down is if he’s still there but he should be gone.
April 9th, 2026 at 2:37 pm
Only 7 drafted in last 10 years with arms less than 32. Hutchinson a notable exception with success. Parsons (not technically an edge) under 32 also.
April 9th, 2026 at 3:19 pm
If he is there at 15 then the football gods are smiling on us and giving us a pass for last years injuries. This guy is one of the best in this years draft, top 3 in no particular order but just a football player and a damn good one.
April 9th, 2026 at 3:40 pm
@Ballwasher61
Sure the football gods would be smiling on us then but would they be smart enough to even take him.
April 9th, 2026 at 5:04 pm
Why not Bain? Because he will be a top 10 pick. My favorite player in the draft. Absolute beast. Id be fine trading up to 9 if he dropped. He’s that good.
Now back to reality..Bucs are in no man’s land at 15.
April 9th, 2026 at 5:27 pm
If Bain somehow slips to #15, would be thrilled with Bucs drafting him. Would buy confetti and make huge mess throwing it everywhere in celebration.
April 9th, 2026 at 7:59 pm
Come on now, if the Bucs want Baine they will have to trade up for him. Ain’t no way Licht will do that.
April 9th, 2026 at 8:19 pm
Why not Ruebin Bane? Because he’s long gone before the Bucs draft. What’s this article about. Reality has to come to the forefront.
April 9th, 2026 at 8:48 pm
Apologies Joe but u sound like a moron. Maybe KC shouldn’t have drafted Mahomes because they never developed a QB, maybe the Bucs shouldn’t have drafted Brooks because they had never developed a linebacker, and maybe the Patriots shouldn’t have drafted Brady since they had never developed a linebacker,op-ed a QB. Gtfo! You think coaching was the only reason JTS and Chris Braswell suck? Sometimes the GM screws up and drags a stiff. That doesn’t mean u stop trying. If Bain or Messidor are available at 15 they need to run to the podium and don’t give it a second thought.
April 9th, 2026 at 9:07 pm
Joe wrote: “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 I have challenged whatever Joe and all other commenters here to do, name a single edge rusher the Bucs have drafted that went onto another team and became a stud at sacking the QB.
Crickets …
The fact is, the Bucs have never drafted an edge rusher that stood a chance at being a stud because they have never drafted one (at least in recent years) when they were in the top ten (or less) in the draft.
So stop blaming Bucs coaching for not developing the pass rushers they have drafted. Nobody else could get squat out of them, either!
April 9th, 2026 at 9:16 pm
BucsfaninOregon: “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.”
Absolutely ridiculous. Far too much for a guy who is a question mark at the NFL level.
Bucs need to trade down and pick up more draft capital, not trade away their picks for a guy that might be good in the NFL.
Other than that absurdity, I agree wholeheartedly that he will go well before the 15th pick to some team that hopes his college numbers translate to the NFL depite his super short arms.
April 9th, 2026 at 9:27 pm
Shake&Baker … Thank you for saying with examples what I have been saying many times in less pointed ways.
The Bucs can’t win games when the temperature is less than 30 degrees, until they did many, many times, is another one.
Stupid generalizations like that drive me nuts. They pretend that moronic correlations are facts.
Can’t and haven’t are two entirely different things and in large part are on the player, not necessarily on the coaches.
The only times I’ve seen it the other way around is with quarterbacks. All too many times recently, we’ve seen QBs in bad organizations fail and then become good to great QBs in other ones. Maybe it’s the coaches in that case. Maybe it’s the supporting cast.
Not so common with any other position, though.
April 9th, 2026 at 9:59 pm
Sure trade up and get him. He’s def gone at 15. I saw mock simulations where
Faulk fell to the Bucs. One that had Styles available. Go figure.
April 9th, 2026 at 10:07 pm
Lmao Faulk will probably be available for the Bucs in the 2nd round according to most mocks. I will still pass on his 2 sacks in the 2025 season.
April 9th, 2026 at 10:11 pm
They will trade up for an edge rusher. Might even be Bain. Hes already coached up just let him rush. Dont introduce him to Bowles