Jon Gruden sees a familiar kind of edge in Rueben Bain Jr.
The former Buccaneers coach, speaking recently on “The Drive with TKras” on 95.7 WDAE, said Tampa Bay’s first-round defensive end has the kind of traits that could make him a real problem off the edge. Gruden even put a ceiling on it, saying Bain could turn into a double-digit sack player.
"I think he can be a double-digit sack guy," Gruden said. "If you look at James Harrison, who played a long time for the Pittsburgh Steelers, very similar length and playing style.
Coach (Larry) Foote on the Bucs staff, I think I heard him mention James Harrison's name, and Harrison was not even drafted, but he would kick your ass week-in and week-out. That is what I think Tampa Bay has, their version of a young James Harrison."
That’s no small comparison. Harrison wasn’t just a tough-guy comp - he was a Defensive Player of the Year, a Super Bowl champion, and a force for years in Pittsburgh.
His best season came in 2008, when he won DPOY and delivered one of the most famous plays in Super Bowl history against the Arizona Cardinals. He also made four All-Pro teams, earned first-team honors in 2008 and 2010, and went to the Pro Bowl every year from 2007 to 2011.
Foote, now Tampa Bay’s run game coordinator/outside linebackers coach, had already drawn the Harrison parallel during OTAs a couple of months ago. He didn’t sound shy about what he sees on Bain’s tape.
"Off the film, if you had to bet, he's going to be a star," Foote told reporters in late May. "The way he plays the game, he's explosive, plays with great leverage and it's hard to block those guys.""
Back in my Pittsburgh days, I played with a guy, James Harrison. You just couldn't block him," Foote said.
"(Bain) has that trait, has that ability."
Harrison isn’t the only name attached to Bain as the scouting buzz has rolled in. NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah compared him to Melvin Ingram, who made three Pro Bowls with the Los Angeles Chargers from 2017-2019. CBS Sports’ draft profile also brought up Dwight Freeney, a three-time first-team All-Pro with the Indianapolis Colts.
Bain has even offered up his own comparison. With questions around his 30 7/8-inch arm length - short of the roughly 33-inch average for an NFL defensive end - he pointed to former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.
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