Miami edge Rueben Bain.

*IF* new Bucs edge rusher Rueben Bain can overcome the obstacles he will face his rookie season with the Bucs, it will be obvious he is a good football player.

But for Joe, without any preconceived evidence, wondered if a pick is solid, all he needs to hear is an NFL scout call a football player “good.”

That’s what veteran NFL scribe Bob McGinn found when he did his research on Bain, the Miami Mauler, when McGinn did his position rankings for GoLongTD.com.

McGinn ranked Bain as the second-best edge rusher in the draft.

2. RUEBEN BAIN, Miami (6-2, 264, no 40, 1): Third-year junior started all three years. “Good football player,” one scout said.

“He’s a power player. He runs through people. Uses his hands pretty well. Can collapse the pocket. Has short arms. Not the rangiest body type. Doesn’t have a ton of speed. He’s not your historical top-5, top-10 D-lineman.” Arms were merely 30 7/8. Hands were small, too (9 1/8). “I think he’ll be the first defensive lineman or edge guy taken since ’99 or something with under 31-inch arms,” a second scout said. “He’ll be a major outlier. He’s super physical and aggressive but Bain is a tweener. He’s got no position. He’s not tall or lanky enough to be a defensive end. He’s not really athletic or fast enough to be an outside backer. And he’s too small to be a defensive tackle. Does he have a motor? Yes. Does he have physical hands? Yes. Is he active with his hands? Yes. As a technician, he’s going to wear a lot of bad college linemen out with his hands and effort. He did that. But, wow, do I think he’s going to get blocked in the NFL? I do.” Finished with 121 tackles (33 ½ for loss), 20 ½ sacks, four forced fumbles and two batted passes. “His quickness and power are just outstanding,” said a third scout. “He’s violent in how he plays. He’s always around the quarterback. He’s going to be the exception to the rule because I don’t think he’s very fast. He’s probably smart he didn’t run because I think he’d run around 4.8. I like edge rushers that have speed but he’s an anomaly for me. There are a lot of other parts of his game that he will compensate with.” Compared by one scout to Kwity Paye. “Those short arms and that size will be a concern,” a fourth scout said. “More of an overachiever-type athlete than a natural, fluid, silky kind of dude. But you love the way he plays. He’s tough as hell. Best thing about his pass rush is he’s relentless. Gives effort against the run. Kills the tight ends. He gets smothered up a little bit by those big (tackles). They’ll get him. He’s like a Brandon Graham.” Four-star recruit from Miami, where he led Central High to four straight state titles and amassed 77 sacks. “He’s a really, really good college player,” a fifth scout said. “When I watch him against some of the better tackles he struggled a little bit. His best shot’s going to be as a 4-3 D-end. To me, if I’m going to take him top 15, I’m hoping to get somebody that’s going to come in and give me eight sacks and build up to like double digits in the next year or two. I don’t know that that’s what he is.”

Joe just hopes for Team Glazer’s checkbook and Bain’s skillset, that someone comes to their senses on the coaching staff and knocks off this “we ask [edge rushers] to do other things.”

Do you ask your dentist to remove cancer cysts? Do you have your plumber change your transmission? Do you have your landscaper repair your air conditioner?

Let Bain eat! Joe swears if he sees Bain trying to cover new slimy Saints receiver Jordyn Tyson, Joe may just jump off the upper deck at the Licht House.