Draft Gurus Micah Parsons And Mike Mayock Are Less High On Rueben Bain Than Most
April 26th, 2026
Mike Mayock.
The Buccaneers’ pick of edge rusher Rueben Bain in Round 1 largely has been viewed as a steal acrosss #NFLmedia, and at One Buc Palace. But not every draft guru is in that camp.
Joe watched Packers edge rusher beast Micah Parsons play draft expert for the entire Bleacher Report coverage of Round 1 of the NFL Draft on Thursday. The dude was engaging, prepared and every damn one of the first eight picks Thursday night were on Parsons’ top-10 players list.
That’s prolific draft-guru production.
Bravo, Mr. Parsons.
Was new Bucs edge rusher beast Rueben Bain on Parsons’ top-10 list? Absolutely not.
In fact, when the Bucs were on the clock at No. 15, Parsons was not pounding the table for Tampa Bay to take the University of Miami edge rusher. Parsons first suggested Tampa Bay draft cornerback D’Angelo Ponds.
Parsons was not down on Bain, but he did mention Bain’s short arms can be a potential problem at the NFL level.
Another draft expert also was not super bullish on Bain. That’s former NFL Network draft guru and ex-Raiders general manager Mike Mayock. He was not surprised at all Bain was on the board at No. 15 overall.
During the Sumer Sports Round 1 draft show, Mayock talked about watching lots of film on Bain and seeing him “literally disappear for two and three quarters at a time.” So Mayock thinks that’s why Bain likely was on the board for the Bucs.
He did think short arms was a factor, too. “I think some of the teams have problems getting over that,” Mayock said, adding that he ranked Bain as the 13th-best player in the draft.
Joe’s been celebrating the Bain pick for days, but the rookie doesn’t have everyone calling him a steal at No. 15.
April 26th, 2026 at 7:58 pm
Mayock is a total fraud.
Just go back and look at his draft picks while GM if the Raiders.
Guy is a bozo.
Id be mire concerned if he liked the Bucs draft. Clueless
April 26th, 2026 at 8:00 pm
Micah Parsons’ arms are how much longer than Bains?
April 26th, 2026 at 8:02 pm
Please show me 2 games last year where Bain “disappeared” for 2 quarters??
I’ll wait
April 26th, 2026 at 8:04 pm
Ok soooo it’s official college offensive lineman don’t develop long arms until AFTER they get to the NFL. He can beat those same type lineman he’s been playing in college for the last 3 years but at the next level his arms will be too short for them? I don’t get it because his technique will get better too
April 26th, 2026 at 8:09 pm
Mayock not liking him is a great thing ..His drafts were awful.
April 26th, 2026 at 8:10 pm
We seriously care about what Mayock or Parsons think? Michael Paraons?? You for real????? lol
April 26th, 2026 at 8:11 pm
I think Bain is going to be a good player for us and am happy we snapped him up. He’s got an edge and I think he will be motivated to prove a lot of people wrong.
April 26th, 2026 at 8:13 pm
Fanofdabucs raises a good point. Mayok s comments are the first I have heard about Bain disappearing. Any way to face check this? Let’s send it to Snopes!
April 26th, 2026 at 8:13 pm
Joe Tryon and Anthony Nelson have long arms and they are studs you must have long arms
April 26th, 2026 at 8:13 pm
Micah is 31 and 1/2 “ vs Bain’s 30 and 7/8 “. Not like Micah has 34 inch long arms.
April 26th, 2026 at 8:14 pm
For every person that says yes, there is another that says no. Chocolate or vanilla? Coke or Pepsi?
It would concern me more if there was universal agreement.
April 26th, 2026 at 8:23 pm
Mike Matlock first round picks
Poor first-round decision-making (Ferrell, Ruggs, Arnette, Leatherwood
April 26th, 2026 at 8:24 pm
Mayock ****
April 26th, 2026 at 8:28 pm
5/8 of an inch difference between Parsons and Bain. That’s negligible. And it could easily be argued Bain was the most disruptive player in college football last year. I’ll take that track record every time.
It’s not like he’s reached the limits of his strength and athleticism yet either. He could turn into an absolute monster. That story Joe posted about Indiana’s center saying “Bain’s an animal” after taking a deep breath when being interviewed right after winning the national championship says it all.
April 26th, 2026 at 8:30 pm
Hummm….most of our edge rushers disappear for 4 quarters. If this guy can just appear for one quarter and get a sack, then we are doing pretty good. My favorite disappearing Bucs DE was Simeon Rice. Yeah, he could disappear for a few quarters then show up in the 4th quarter, get a sack, force a fumble and close a game out…..ohhh… but he didn’t do anything in the other quarters…
April 26th, 2026 at 8:33 pm
I was watching draft coverage with Parsons on it, along with a very very high Malik Nabers, and Parsons wasn’t down on the pick of B-Rex at all, he just didn’t have him in his top 10, so it wasn’t the huge value others think, but he didn’t think it was a bad pick. For what it’s worth, out of Parsons top 10, I believe 8 went in the top 10, which was the best top 10 list vs drafted that I saw, and he probably has a career in TV post career. Nabers, meanwhile, was throwing a fit that the Giants didn’t take Caleb Downs – I mean literally pouting and throwing, he was sooo high.
April 26th, 2026 at 8:36 pm
The word Guru is moronic. He fell in the draft to a team in need. Just don’t let him drive, and you’re good to go. Mayock’s picks with the Raiders didn’t work out so well. Go Bucs!!!
April 26th, 2026 at 8:37 pm
Mayock showed his expertise while he was Raiders GM for that hour
April 26th, 2026 at 8:39 pm
Remember when Mayock was a GM and his picks for the Raiders? He needs to go back to the shadows, he has nothing to say that anyone of us should believe. He was awful as a draft day picker GM.
April 26th, 2026 at 8:41 pm
You guys are some big time dopes if you think Mayock was making the picks with the Raiders. You probably also thought Bruce Allen was making the picks in Tampa.
Hint – Gruden runs the draft room, makes the final calls – in Vegas just like in Tampa once he went to the Glazers and got McKay fired – once he was out of the way, Gruden never again didn’t call his own shots, and ran two teams into the ground with his awful personnel selections.
April 26th, 2026 at 8:42 pm
I like the pick
April 26th, 2026 at 8:46 pm
I remember how Mayock thought so highly of Robert Ayers of Tennesee one year. Dude didn’t produce in college, didn’t look good at the Senior Bowl, and didn’t show out at the Combine. And he loved him. He was an average at best pro. Then he swing and missed majorly as the Raiders GM on a DE early that nobody else liked. I’m not sweating it due to them. I’m sweating if because Bain is a 263 lb power guy playing against much stronger pros. At least the effort is there.
April 26th, 2026 at 8:48 pm
I’m a little tired of the “short arm” BS. If he hits a QB in the ribs with his shoulder, the extra 3/4 of an inch of arm length everyone whines about won’t matter.
April 26th, 2026 at 8:53 pm
He won’t be an elite pass rusher. That doesn’t mean he won’t be a good player.
April 26th, 2026 at 8:56 pm
Not sure what the above comment even means, since longer arms gives you a better ability to fight thru the lineman in the first place and get to the QB.
In any case, I like the ferocity Bain plays with, but I just don’t see the skill set of the dominant ones so I think his ceiling is limited… It won’t matter because the Bucs have too many holes next season and Bowles has proven he is unquestionably a below-average coach. Should’ve been fired last year.
April 26th, 2026 at 8:57 pm
We will have to wait and see when he proves them all wrong !!
April 26th, 2026 at 9:04 pm
Mike Mayock’s tenure as Las Vegas Raiders GM (2019–2021) was defined by high-profile first-round misses, notably Clelin Ferrell (No. 4, 2019), Damon Arnette (2020), and Alex Leatherwood (2021).
While finding gems like Maxx Crosby later, his top picks underperformed
Key Mike Mayock Draft Busts (Raiders Tenure)
Clelin Ferrell (DE, 2019 – Pick 4): Widely considered a reach, he failed to become a dominant pass rusher, rarely justifying his high draft spot.
Damon Arnette (CB, 2020 – Pick 19): Released after just one season following legal issues and poor on-field performance.
Alex Leatherwood (OL, 2021 – Pick 17): Started all games as a rookie but led the league in pressures allowed, leading to his release shortly after.
Henry Ruggs III (WR, 2020 – Pick 12): A high-performing player, but his career ended abruptly due to a tragic felony arrest, making this a total loss for the team.
Johnathan Abram (S, 2019 – Pick 27): Frequently injured and largely ineffective in pass coverage.
April 26th, 2026 at 9:06 pm
Bain didn’t have any trouble against plenty of guys with 35 inch+ arms in the college football playoffs. He has great hand techniques, is an expert at bend and leverage and he’s extremely strong for his weight. It will translate. Mark my words.
I’m wondering how our pass rush looks if David Walker happens to work out really well as a speed rusher too. Even though he and Bain are almost exactly the same size. With one on either side- look out! Our rush could go from terrible to awesome in **one season**!
April 26th, 2026 at 9:09 pm
I would say Micah is worried Bain might be more successful!!! Doesn’t want to hype him up as he is competition.
April 26th, 2026 at 9:13 pm
“Draft Experts ” Really Joe.
April 26th, 2026 at 9:13 pm
Capeaceiskaput Says:: Something ridiculous and untrue.
April 26th, 2026 at 8:30 pm
Hummm….most of our edge rushers disappear for 4 quarters. If this guy can just appear for one quarter and get a sack, then we are doing pretty good. My favorite disappearing Bucs DE was Simeon Rice. Yeah, he could disappear for a few quarters then show up in the 4th quarter, get a sack, force a fumble and close a game out…..ohhh… but he didn’t do anything in the other quarters…
April 26th, 2026 at 9:16 pm
It had been written elsewhere that B-Rex can be swallowed by the better OTs.
We shall see.
April 26th, 2026 at 9:17 pm
The long arms v. short arms is crap.
First, if he is rushing and using two arms against a T, then he’s already lost th down. I don’t care how long his arms are.
And it’s not like he’s a T-Rex.
Mayock could not deliver as a GM. Why would I take anything he say seriously?
As for Parsons, I don’t want to hear what current players think. They are competition. And say what he wants, only one of them could not finish the season because of a bad knee.
April 26th, 2026 at 9:17 pm
When Mayock was with the Raiders he drafted numerous busts. Take his opinion with a grain of salt.
April 26th, 2026 at 9:24 pm
5/8″
April 26th, 2026 at 9:24 pm
Not like anybody here knows a thing or anybody anywhere else. Your guess is as good as mine or theirs. We’ll all wait and see. Some will win, some will lose, some are born to sing the blues.
If a team hits on 55% of their draft picks, meaning they get a second contract with anybody, it is considered a good draft. Not much more than 50% of first round draft picks are considered a success. By those standards, Jason Licht has had a remarkable last several years – especially considering his UDFA hits.
Nothing else to do this time of year but speculate. It’s silly and narcissistic for anyone to think they know a thing about what will actually happen but that’s what we do when there is nothing else happening.
Bring on underwear football! At least then we’ll have something to see and talk about, even if it is almost as meaningless as our current discussions.
April 26th, 2026 at 9:31 pm
If Mayock doesn’t like the pick, I’m even more excited for it. From couch sitting “expert” to massive failure of a GM I take nothing he says on players relevant at all.
April 26th, 2026 at 9:36 pm
Maylock is jealous he couldn’t get a great player on his team like Bain, and Micah big Bain’s college record speaks for himself. This player will show up in the NFL, just like Donald did with your so called short arm syndrome.
April 26th, 2026 at 9:47 pm
Maybe if Maylock focused on production and not tape measures and 40 times, perhaps he’d still be a GM.
April 26th, 2026 at 9:51 pm
Hey Mike Mayock,
Tell me you don’t watch Canes games by telling me you watch Canes games where Bain disappeared for 2 quarters.
You, Mike Mayock, are a clown 🤡🤡🤡
April 26th, 2026 at 9:51 pm
Mayock having Bain 13th on his board is still pretty high lol. I don’t know why you guys are getting upset
April 26th, 2026 at 9:52 pm
Beer good
April 26th, 2026 at 9:52 pm
B-Rex had been written about as getting swallowed up by better OTs. We shall see.
April 26th, 2026 at 10:04 pm
so basically when bain bends and stretches to touch his toes…he can only reach and touch his knee caps…???
asking for a friend
🙂
April 26th, 2026 at 10:08 pm
3.28
Bain absolutely destroyed Florida’s Offensive Line led by Austin Barber who was the Browns 3rd round pick.
Bain and Miami held Florida to 61 yards of passing in that game.
Florida only ran the ball for 80 yards in that game as well and didn’t convert any 3rd downs.
April 26th, 2026 at 10:10 pm
Did reach and arm length matter for 5’10” Joe Frazier or Iron Mike Tyson in a fight in their primes?
Asking for a friend.
April 26th, 2026 at 10:17 pm
It’s remarkable how many clueless dopes don’t know how Gruden draft rooms work. Truly some really dumb people if you don’t think he was the one making all the calls.
April 26th, 2026 at 10:19 pm
I remember when Elvis Dumervil was playing for Miami Jackson
I had heard about him, but l had never seen him play
Because Norwood, Central, Northwestern was the top teams in Miami
But when he went to Louisville, l seen him play
The dude was about 5’11 240 lbs DE,
I don’t know how long his arms was, but his whole body looked small
He had 20 sacks his last year at Louisville.
But they still said he was too small, so he slid to the 4th round.
Once he got to Denver, he was tearing the league up
He retired with over a 100 sacks for his career
A little undersized DE from Little Haiti in Miami
April 26th, 2026 at 10:22 pm
As others have said here, Mayock has a terrible reputation of analyzing draft prospects. Was hired as a GM and botched his picks and ended up fired.
April 26th, 2026 at 10:24 pm
If I’m Bain, I show up at training camp with a couple of 4 ft long fake arms, slingin em around like the blow up dude outside a car wash
April 26th, 2026 at 10:24 pm
Yeah every dumb move the Raiders made, Gruden made it
Trading Mack , and all the dumb drafting
But Mike Mayock got the blame for it
Like Bruce Allen did in Tampa
April 26th, 2026 at 10:25 pm
I mean he’s right. Rueben Bain Jr certainly is no Clelin Ferrell.
April 26th, 2026 at 10:27 pm
Hmm Bain’s arms didn’t seem to a problem going up against future NFL players in the CFP.
Mayock may be right, that his short arms put him lower in the draft. There are lots of dumb teams.
So good job on that appraisal of the drafting teams, but if he thinks Bain will be a bad player, it more likely shows why Mayock failed as a GM.
April 26th, 2026 at 10:34 pm
How did I never know this…
You know how has shorter arms than B-Rex (30 7/8″)?
Kancey (30 5/8″).
Kancey is a monster – when healthy has easily been the best pass rusher on the team.
Yeah, I don’t care about short arms at all now. If B-Rex fails to make it, it won’t be because of his T-Rex arms.
April 26th, 2026 at 10:36 pm
Bain uses his short arms to his advantage
April 26th, 2026 at 11:00 pm
Tbh I wasn’t high on the pick but im excited nonetheless. The short arms are of no concern he can bend rip swim n bull rush. I thought we should have taken 3 lbs 2 ILBs n 1 olb. The LBs are the most impactful in a 3-4. They pass rush defend the run n cover. Qbs love their short n mid zone routes. Ud have options 2 send any combination of lbs. Im excited 4 the power rush. Our speed guys have failed year after year. The wr was a head scratcher tho. In an already crowded wr room. Who gets pushed out tez or McMillan? Or Godwin?
April 26th, 2026 at 11:15 pm
Mayock had Bain as the 13th best player in the draft. We picked him at 15. What is the fuss about?
April 26th, 2026 at 11:23 pm
Rod Munch, McKay didn’t get fired. He chose to leave because of Gruden, and because we were in cap h3ll as a result of him and Gruden’s moves.
He left a big mess. Maybe the Glazers gave Gruden his way over McKay’s recommendations…I don’t know.
April 26th, 2026 at 11:24 pm
It’s up to Bain to prove them wrong now. His future is in his own hands.
April 26th, 2026 at 11:31 pm
Buc bonzai, you must know that under Gruden we won a Super Bowl don’t you?
April 27th, 2026 at 12:16 am
Captahab Says:
“Buc bonzai, you must know that under Gruden we won a Super Bowl don’t you?”
Of course I do.
And then he ran the team into the ground. He was 2 games over .500 for us…just like Bowles.
Fans wanted him gone by the time he was fired.
April 27th, 2026 at 12:17 am
Buccaneer Bonzai Says:
April 26th, 2026 at 11:23 pm
Rod Munch, McKay didn’t get fired. He chose to leave because of Gruden, and because we were in cap h3ll as a result of him and Gruden’s moves.
————-
Why would McKay choose to quit in the middle of the season? That’s not what happened at all.
Gruden wanted to sign an old and washed up Andre Rison, who came in for a workout, was out of shape, couldn’t break a 5.0 40, and McKay refused to sign him. Gruden then went to the Glazers, said it’s me or him, and obviously after spending all the resources they spent on Gruden, McKay was the odd man out.
As for the alleged cap hell… why didn’t that ever apply when Gruden wanted to sign all his old washed up ex-Raiders? Like giving big money to bring in Charlie Garner? Or every injured mid-30s offensive lineman? Oh bringing in Tim Brown? Etc etc etc. There was no cap hell, it was just Gruden’s excuse for letting Sapp walk and cutting Lynch because he couldn’t stand the idea of people properly pointing out he only won because he was handed Dungy’s team, complete with his entire defensive staff (and that defense allowed a net of 3 points in 3 games during the playoffs).
Gruden, once he had control, picked his stooge Bruce Allen to have the GM title, then Gruden ran the team into the ground, destroying what should have been a dynasty.
That’s the Gruden legend.
When he went back to the Raiders, was handed complete control again, picked a TV guy to have the GM title while he again ran that team into the ground.
Gruden, if he’s not allowed any control on personnel is a lot better off. But once he starts picking layers, everything goes to hell.
April 27th, 2026 at 12:20 am
Rod Munch , McKay didn’t leave in the middle of a season. He left at the end of a season, refusing to extend his contract.
April 27th, 2026 at 12:21 am
He left in December 03 after the last game.
April 27th, 2026 at 12:23 am
He was given permission to leave around december 12th…my bad…but he wasn’t fired.
April 27th, 2026 at 12:26 am
Pete Prisco: Bain was the third best player in this draft. To get him at 15 was not a steal; it was a heist!
April 27th, 2026 at 12:29 am
Ironically, the Bucs reached the playoffs 5 times under McKay.
They’ve also done it 5 times under Jason licht.
Both won a Superbowl.
So ifwe make the playoffs this year, Licht will be better for us than McKay. Personally, I think ihe already is better.
April 27th, 2026 at 12:34 am
Buccaneer Bonzai Says:
April 27th, 2026 at 12:21 am
He left in December 03 after the last game.
———–
That’s literally not true.
Although looking up the timeline I was combining two things. The Andre Rison hissy fit was an on-going thing throughout the season, but the final straw was when Gruden went over McKay’s head and deactivated Keyshawn. That happened on Nov 18th.
McKay was out at that point – and the additional time was just negotiating an exit, because the Glazers let Gruden make the personnel move and didn’t overrule it.
I was doing that based on memory, without looking anything up – and it was over 20-years ago, so not too bad on details. But Gruden forced McKay out, then promptly ran the team into the ground with his hand picked stooge Bruce Allen.
April 27th, 2026 at 12:39 am
Buccaneer Bonzai Says:
April 27th, 2026 at 12:29 am
Ironically, the Bucs reached the playoffs 5 times under McKay.
They’ve also done it 5 times under Jason licht.
Both won a Superbowl.
So ifwe make the playoffs this year, Licht will be better for us than McKay. Personally, I think ihe already is better.
————
If McKay was in this NFC South, the Bucs would have made the playoffs every year and probably averaged like 14 wins.
Licht has done a great job, and he did the right thing hiring an outside gun to come in and get a SB ring – but come on. McKay took a completely helpless franchise, the worst in team in pro-sports history, and got them a ring using home grown talent. That’s hard to overcome. If Licht can get a 2nd ring, I’ll begrudging give him the title, but considering my clearest earliest Bucs memories started in the mid-80s, and how long years are as a kid as opposed to when you’re an adult, McKay and Dungy are absolute legends not to be topped in my mind.
April 27th, 2026 at 2:59 am
I watched me A LOT of Miami Central HS Football over there years, and am VERY familiar with Bain. He’s a nice player. The Bucs had to take him there. It was fair. I was NOT shocked at all, that he “fell” to #15. The only thing being, I thought Miami would’ve taken a bite there!? They didn’t. Which I thought at the time, SAYS A LOT. Cause, NOBODY knows him like THEY DO. Again, I think he’ll be a nice player… An average to slightly above average starter in the league, and will find a way to pave a nice career for himself. But, an “ALL-PRO” caliber player is HIGHLY unlikely. Maybe, a Pro-Bowl alternate type, a time or two, is much more likely his ceiling.
April 27th, 2026 at 3:24 am
Laughable how these dumb ass homers on here has lost their MINDS, and wanting to talk straight up NONSENSE (just GARBAGE) about Micah Parsons… THE ONLY Player in NFL ‘HISTORY’ to begin a career with AT LEAST 12+ SACKS in 5-Straight SEASONS (while only playing in just 25 full games over the past 2-seasons… Yeah, that’s averaging a SACK per GAME). Hilarious. Actually, it’s embarrassing. Especially, when 90% of these people had not even HEARD OF Bain, before the College Football Playoffs LoL. It’s PATHETIC. 💯 Guaranteed, they would also say, that they’d bet that he really didn’t want to play for the Dolphins anyway, and really wanted to play for the Bucs and had hoped that they would PICK HIM all along Lmao. Oh, my… Their precious lil damaged egos. Hahahah. Get the hell out. Slow ya roll. You’re setting yourself up for MAJOR disappointment. Just waaaayyy too high of expectations for this guy! I mean, come on. Yeah, Micah doesn’t know WTF he’s talkin’ about Lmao.
April 27th, 2026 at 4:46 am
D’Angelo Ponds went at pick 50 in the 2nd round but Parsons would be ok with taking him at 15 over all. What a joke he is a troll
April 27th, 2026 at 5:37 am
Remember that “I had to show him” chip block Lenny put on Parsons? Wouldn’t trust Parsons to make a solid call on a Bucs pick. That block was epic. Then Parsons goes off on social media crying about it.
April 27th, 2026 at 11:04 am
Bonzai
McKay left the week before the home Atlanta game. He was sitting in Arthur Blanks box at Rayjay.
April 27th, 2026 at 12:59 pm
I love mike mayock who got unfairly treated in the gruden witch hunt imo.
I love Jason who has done pretty decent with guys that had flaws but overcame the probabilities which takes highly intelligent work and I guess a little luck too.
So let me straddle my strong feelings about both.
Mayock moved from media to gm with poor ownership as a handicap very well imo. He played odds nicely because he understood them.
Jason has proven judgment about risk. When you have a low downside high upside risk go ahead and take it. Even when it fails.
Parsons has a tad over a half inch reach advantage over Bain at 31. Crosby and Hendrickson maybe over an inch. I get the nfl is a battle over percentage points but jts had a 34 inch reach and braswell 33. So maybe reach is at best a moderate value indicator and not a basis for a multi factored decision.
This applies to every other stat the newspaper quotes. Analytics may sell newspapers and its not worthless the bucs proved through painful experiences they are now willing to pay a premium for dudes that will kick asses and yiu cant find that in an algorithm.
What does the newspaper expect Jason to do listen to them or trust his eyes. Understand one thing my Old boss once said in more colorful language. You are paid to be right. Not for appearances. If Jason believes something he got a super bowl out of a train wreck once so sorry Mike im with Jason here.
April 27th, 2026 at 1:19 pm
This it’s why it’s hard to read Bonzai’s posts. They don’t know what the heck they’re talking about….
“McKay said the hope was for him to sign the contract Monday but wait two weeks, until the regular season ended, to announce it. When the talks became public knowledge, the announcement was made Monday”
Ironically, McKay’s first game as Atlanta’s general manager will be Sunday when the Falcons play the Bucs at Raymond James Stadium. McKay will attend the game.
“It’s a real uncomfortable, not-as-you-draw-it-up situation,” McKay said in a conference call with the Tampa Bay media.
April 27th, 2026 at 7:58 pm
Micah Paraon’s arm length is .625” longer than Bain’s, his wingspan is about 1” longer than Bain’s, but Bain is 13 pounds heavier.
The measurable’s are negligent.
Micah Parson’s is a hypocrite.
Notice that I made no reference to the GM that the Raiders fired.