Rueben Bain Jr. arrived in Tampa with the kind of draft-night buzz that usually comes with a top-five pick, not the No. 15 selection the Buccaneers actually landed. And if Jon Gruden is right, the former Miami edge rusher may waste no time making the slide look like a steal.
On Friday, Gruden joined the 95.7 WDAE radio show and made his view on Bain pretty clear.
"Well, I think he can be a double-digit sack guy," Gruden said. "Now, some of the analytical people are scared of him because of his arm length and some of that stuff. I think he's a double-digit sack guy."
That’s a strong bet on a rookie, but Bain has given Tampa plenty to like already. He was once viewed as a candidate to go No. 1 overall before concerns about his arm length and other measurables pushed him down the board. The Buccaneers stayed patient, grabbed the second-team All-American in the 2026 NFL Draft, and have seen him make an immediate impression during OTAs on both the front office and his teammates.
The production at Miami backs up the hype. Bain finished with 15.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks, and his 92.5 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season ranked third among 852 qualified edge defenders. He also added 29 solo tackles, forced two fumbles and picked off a pass while showing the kind of disruptive energy that has already shown up in Tampa.
That edge has been obvious in early practice sessions, where one coach was even seen telling the rookie to ease up on the team’s equipment.
Still, Gruden was careful to point out that Bain won’t be carrying the whole thing by himself. Tampa Bay’s pass rush struggled last season, finishing with a 19.8-percent pressure rate that ranked No. 25 in the NFL, and Gruden said the fix has to come from multiple places.
"I do think, though, its going to come down to [Calijah] Kancey, Vita Vea, we've got to get more out of Yaya Diaby," Gruden said. "Its gotta be a collection of rushers."
He leaned on his own Buccaneers experience to make the point, describing how the best rushes came when the pressure came from everywhere.
"Don't forget, when we had a great pass rush, it was Warren Sapp, but we had Simeon [Rice], we had [Greg] Spires. We had guys coming inside and out, and we could bring a wave of guys," Gruden said.
"So, I think Rueben Bain's got a huge ceiling, but obviously, he's a rookie. He's going to need a little help from his friends."
That help starts with the rest of Tampa’s young defensive front. Vea, a two-time Pro Bowler, remains a force in the run game and can command one or two offensive linemen with his size. Kancey and Diaby are both in position to take a step forward after dealing with injuries, though each has flashed consistency when healthy.
Diaby, who will line up across from Bain, posted seven sacks and 50 total tackles last season. He’s also spent the offseason talking about leadership and earning the trust of the locker room, not just putting up numbers.
"I'm definitely doing whatever I can to earn the trust of the guys. I come to work every day," Diaby said on the "Up & Adams Show" in May. "I earn the trust of the coaches as well and I do believe that I will take that next step to being the next captain."
With Lavonte David gone, the Bucs’ young defensive line will have more responsibility on its shoulders. But with Bain’s burst, Vea’s force, and the possibility of bigger seasons from Kancey and Diaby, Tampa’s pass rush has a chance to look a whole lot different this year.
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