- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,193,802
- Reaction score
- 59
There's not much room left aboard the Rueben Bain Jr. hype train.
Bain, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' first-round draft pick, continues to impress everybody who has been watching him prepare for his rookie season in the NFL. To say expectations for Bain are high for 2026 would be the understatement of the year.
He and David Bailey of the New York Jets, the second overall pick, are co-favorites to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Bain has already been compared to former Pittsburgh Steelers great James Harrison by his position coach, Larry Foote.
Now, Bucs' head coach Todd Bowles is learning that keeping his excitement over Bain to himself is almost impossible. Speaking about Bain on the Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast, Bowles heaped praise on his prized rookie.
“I’m extremely grateful,” Bowles said about having Bain. “Just seeing him in person, you know, there’s size, and there’s length, and there’s speed, and there’s everything else. But you also have to look at how a guy rushes the passer.
“It’s a lot in how he rushes the passer; he’s never down the middle. He’s always on the edge. He never wastes steps. He always uses his hands. He understands leverage; he knows when to swim and when to knock him down, when to fight the offensive lineman’s hands. And he’s just a workhorse. But even beyond that, he’s even more of a football player than I thought. He’s extremely bright. He picked up the system very well. He runs games very well. And you can see the possibilities."
It sounds like Bain is checking every single box a coach could hope for.
Bowles continued his interview by giving a sneak peek at how Bain will be used as a rookie. It appears that Bain will be almost exclusively used on the edge, on the same side as defensive tackle Calijah Kancey.
“Him and Kancey on the same side can do some good things because they get off the ball very well and they understand each other. So, just having [Bain] in the spring seeing the possibilities of what he can do, you can’t help but smile.”
The thought of Bain and Kancey lining up next to each other should make every Bucs fan happy. If Kancey can remain healthy for the entire season, he can still be one of the league's premier young DTs. He and the rookie should complement each other well and create matchup nightmares on their side.
Everything is setting up beautifully for Bain to have a standout rookie season. He has certainly looked the part of a franchise cornerstone, and it seems like someone new is publicly raving about him every few days.
Tampa's defense has the potential to be one of the NFL's best in 2026, and Bain is a major reason for that. YaYa Diaby has already expressed his excitement over the Bucs' new-look defense, and he has doubts that anyone will be able to block the front seven.
Expect Bain to be one of the most exciting and productive rookies that the Bucs have had in quite some time. Coach Bowles is already counting his blessings that Bain shockingly fell into Tampa's lap.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
Bain, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' first-round draft pick, continues to impress everybody who has been watching him prepare for his rookie season in the NFL. To say expectations for Bain are high for 2026 would be the understatement of the year.
He and David Bailey of the New York Jets, the second overall pick, are co-favorites to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Bain has already been compared to former Pittsburgh Steelers great James Harrison by his position coach, Larry Foote.
Now, Bucs' head coach Todd Bowles is learning that keeping his excitement over Bain to himself is almost impossible. Speaking about Bain on the Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast, Bowles heaped praise on his prized rookie.
“I’m extremely grateful,” Bowles said about having Bain. “Just seeing him in person, you know, there’s size, and there’s length, and there’s speed, and there’s everything else. But you also have to look at how a guy rushes the passer.
“It’s a lot in how he rushes the passer; he’s never down the middle. He’s always on the edge. He never wastes steps. He always uses his hands. He understands leverage; he knows when to swim and when to knock him down, when to fight the offensive lineman’s hands. And he’s just a workhorse. But even beyond that, he’s even more of a football player than I thought. He’s extremely bright. He picked up the system very well. He runs games very well. And you can see the possibilities."
It sounds like Bain is checking every single box a coach could hope for.
Bowles Gives A Sneak Peek At How Bain Will Be Used
Bowles continued his interview by giving a sneak peek at how Bain will be used as a rookie. It appears that Bain will be almost exclusively used on the edge, on the same side as defensive tackle Calijah Kancey.
“Him and Kancey on the same side can do some good things because they get off the ball very well and they understand each other. So, just having [Bain] in the spring seeing the possibilities of what he can do, you can’t help but smile.”
The thought of Bain and Kancey lining up next to each other should make every Bucs fan happy. If Kancey can remain healthy for the entire season, he can still be one of the league's premier young DTs. He and the rookie should complement each other well and create matchup nightmares on their side.
Final Thoughts
Everything is setting up beautifully for Bain to have a standout rookie season. He has certainly looked the part of a franchise cornerstone, and it seems like someone new is publicly raving about him every few days.
Tampa's defense has the potential to be one of the NFL's best in 2026, and Bain is a major reason for that. YaYa Diaby has already expressed his excitement over the Bucs' new-look defense, and he has doubts that anyone will be able to block the front seven.
Expect Bain to be one of the most exciting and productive rookies that the Bucs have had in quite some time. Coach Bowles is already counting his blessings that Bain shockingly fell into Tampa's lap.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
