The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' pass rush should see major improvements thanks to the addition of Rueben Bain Jr., who was the team's No. 15 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. See why Bucs legend DB Ronde Barber is so high on the first-year EDGE.
Entering the upcoming season, Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. has been hailed as one of the top candidates for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
With how Bain has looked throughout training camp, this is not surprising, as the former Miami standout has been focused on ramping up for his first NFL season.
In late-August, Bucs Hall of Fame cornerback Ronde Barber joined the Jim Rome Show to talk about what he expects from Tampa's newest pass rusher.
"I think he's going to take the league by storm," Barber said.
Barber cited Bain's level of intensity and "violence" that he plays with as one of the biggest additions he brings to Tampa's defensive line, saying that he should add another level of energy to the unit.
This violent nature was evident throughout practice sessions, as Bain teed off on the training equipment, even being told to take it easy at times by members of the staff.
Barber, like Super Bowl winning head coach Jon Gruden, predicted a double-digit sack year for Bain right away, saying that he "kills everybody he goes against."
But, Bain is not focused on individual numbers or awards, as he told media earlier this week.
"Nothing statistical. Just being consistent, coming up every day with the same attitude, being the same guy every day... So I just want to go out, play, have fun. And whatever God blessed me with, that’s the opportunities that I have," Bain said.
As a senior at Miami, Bain notched 15.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.
His 92.5 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season ranked third among 852 qualified edge defenders.
Bain has a plethora of pass rush moves he can utilize, displaying the rare "hump" move in a viral clip against the New York Jets in preseason.
Getting to the quarterback is something that Tampa needs to take big strides in as a unit, having ranked No. 25 in the NFL in pressure rate last season (19.8%).
Bain will certainly help inflate this number, but the extent will be dependent on the rest of the defensive line.
On Saturday, head coach Todd Bowles talked about his defensive line, while predicting a "much improved" pass rush.
"I don’t think you can leave YaYa Diaby alone. I don’t think you can leave Rueben Bain Jr. alone," Bowles said on the Ronde Barber Show. "But at the same time, you’ve got Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea in there, as well. So I think we’re going to see more of six- or seven-man protections than we’ve ever seen."
As Barber said, he expects Bain to lead the group, but the supplementary pieces will be crucial to the overall success of the defense.
