Rueben Bain Jr. has wasted no time making a case for why Tampa Bay used the No. 15 pick on him.
The Buccaneers rookie has been turning heads all offseason, and his first real chance to test himself against outside competition came this week in joint practice against the New York Jets. He didn’t just hold his own. He looked dominant.
One of the biggest questions going into the work against New York was how Bain would stack up against the Jets’ offensive tackle pair of Armand Membou and Olu Fashanu. Both are former first-round picks, which made the matchup a useful measuring stick for where Bain stands against NFL-caliber talent. On Wednesday, Bain spent most of his time matched up with Membou, and he made the tackle’s day miserable.
Connor Hughes, who covers the Jets for SNY, wrote: “Rueben Bain is having quite the practice vs Armand Membou. Have him for two sacks and quite a bit of pressure. Membou struggling with him.”
That kind of report is exactly what Tampa Bay had to be hoping for from its prized rookie.
Bucs fans have seen this movie before, too. Bain has been giving Tampa Bay starting right tackle Luke Goedeke plenty of problems throughout training camp, so his performance against the Jets wasn’t exactly a surprise.
Todd Bowles has apparently seen enough already. Bain is not expected to play much, if at all, in Friday night’s preseason opener against the Jets. The rookie was also listed as the starting OLB on the team’s first unofficial depth chart, opposite Yaya Diaby.
For Tampa Bay, that matters. The Buccaneers haven’t had a true game-wrecking pass rusher in years, and the team hasn’t produced a double-digit sack player since Shaq Barrett in 2021.
That’s a big part of why the Bucs were eager to grab Bain in the first round. At Miami last season, he piled up 83 QB pressures, which tied the all-time record in the PFF College era. Over three college seasons, he finished with 20.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss.
It’s still just August, and Bain hasn’t taken a regular-season snap yet. But if this offseason is any indication, the Buccaneers may already have the kind of edge rusher they’ve been searching for.
In Other News...
Saints Receiver Room Suddenly Has A Camp Concern Fans Know Too Well
A familiar summer worry popped up for the Saints on the practice field when wide receiver Jordyn Tyson left early with a hamstring injury, the kind of camp setback that can make every rep feel a little more important. New head coach Kellen Moore is already trying to sort through a roster in transition, and any health concern in a receiver room tends to draw extra attention, especially this time of year.
The situation comes with the usual caveat that not every early exit turns into a long-term issue, but it still lands in a division where other teams are dealing with their own camp storylines. In Tampa Bay, Emeka Egbuka was also limited by a minor toe injury that ended his practice early, a reminder that even the smallest preseason knocks can shape how teams handle the next few days of work. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Open Preseason With Pressure On A Few Critical Roster Battles
The preseason opener against the Jets arrives with the usual asterisk that the starters are not expected to play, which pushes the focus onto the roster fights underneath the headline names. For Tampa Bay, that makes this first game less about the scoreboard and more about the handful of players trying to make a case when the margins are tight and the snaps are limited.
Among the more watched battles are on defense and at tight end, where Chris Braswell and Anthony Nelson are competing for a spot that does not look built for both of them. Devin Culp is also trying to gain ground in a crowded tight end group, and the early preseason reps could matter a lot for a player who needs to separate himself quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers QB Depth Suddenly Puts An Unproven Rookie In Spotlight
With Baker Mayfield inactive and the quarterback room thinned further by Jake Brownings injury, Tampa Bays preseason opener against the Jets has quickly turned into an unexpected showcase for Connor Bazelak. The undrafted rookie earned the Buccaneers third-string job and now looks set for meaningful work, a notable turn for a passer who has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game.
Bazelak arrives with a long college rsum that included stops at Missouri, Indiana and Bowling Green, along with more than 12,000 passing yards and 66 touchdowns across 58 games. For the Buccaneers, the immediate question is less about polish than opportunity, and how much the rookie can handle when the preseason opens with the spotlight suddenly on him. [Read more 🡒]