Click through to visit BillCurrieFord.com and see their extraordinary July discounts. Family-owned in Tampa since 1960! Bill Currie Ford general manager Sean Sullivan is ready to help you PERSONALLY and give you the famous Ira Kaufman discount. Don’t Worry, Drive Currie!

BY IRA KAUFMAN

On the brink of Buccaneers training camp, Rueben Bain looms exceedingly large.

Beyond his 6-foot-2, 265-pound frame, the first-round pick out of the University of Miami carries a huge burden into a defining season for Todd Bowles and the entire organization.

Rueben Bain

The Bucs were both thrilled and shocked Bain was still on the draft board with the 15th pick. While detractors were debating Bain’s short arms, the Bucs embraced him fully. Jason Licht didn’t hesitate to grab a powerful force expected to immediately impact an embattled defense.

Opponents averaged 26 points per game during the 2-7 slide that cost the Bucs a fifth consecutive division crown. A unit that posted 25 sacks during a 6-2 getaway generated only 12 sacks in the final nine games.

This franchise is counting on Bain to be the catalyst for a revived pass rush, starting with a Week 1 matchup against Cincinnati’s dynamic passing attack.

Only three clubs blitzed more often than Tampa Bay last year, yet the Bucs ranked 22nd in QB hits and 24th in sack percentage.

Rookies, including first-round picks, typically face a learning curve at the pro level. They are expected to struggle early while adjusting to the nuances of NFL play.

Not this rookie.

Before he exerts pressure, Bain must handle pressure.

You could make a powerful argument that he is Tampa Bay’s most consequential draft choice since Jameis Winston was selected first overall in 2015.

Let’s not forget Tristan Wirfs played right tackle, not left, in his first three NFL seasons. Devin White, chosen fifth overall in 2019, was an inside linebacker.

If Bain fails to make an impact, it’s a stretch to suggest Tampa Bay’s pass rush will be significantly improved this fall. He’s being counted on as a difference maker, whether he’s coming off the edge or breaking down the pocket from the interior.

The early reviews on Bain are glowing.

“He is an absolute beast,” says Cody Mauch.

“Off the film, if you had to bet, he’s going to be a star,” says assistant coach Larry Foote, comparing Bain’s skill set to former Steelers standout James Harrison, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 and a Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist on three occasions.

“This guy has a playing style that Tampa Bay fans are gonna love,” Jon Gruden said on WDAE radio. “I think he can be a double-digit sack guy.”

That’s rare for any first-year player.

In 2017, rookie Myles Garrett had seven sacks in 11 games. and T.J. Watt had seven sacks in 15 games. In 2014, Khalil Mack registered four sacks in 16 games. In 2022, Aidan Hutchinson posted 9.5 sacks in 17 games. A year later, rookie Will Anderson had seven sacks in 15 games.
But it can be done.

Von Miller posted 11.5 sacks during his 2011 rookie season. Micah Parsons racked up 13 sacks in 2021 and Atlanta’s James Pearce Jr. had 10.5 sacks as a rookie last year. Maxx Crosby got the job done with 10 sacks in 2019.

Nobody is planning on easing Bain into this reeling defense. He’s not going to sit behind David Walker or Chris Braswell. Although he was solid against the run with the Hurricanes, Bain is here to hunt quarterbacks.

The good news for Bain? Teams love to throw against the Bucs. Since Bowles arrived in 2019, Buc opponents pass on 61 percent of their snaps.

It’s been a very long time since a player drafted by the Bucs produced a double-digit sack season for Tampa Bay. Warren Sapp (16.5) and Marcus Jones (13) turned the trick for the 2000 Buccaneers.

That was four years before Bain was born.

Bain looks the part of a stud. He enters the NFL determined to show how almost half the league passed him by — overlooking his 83 pressures in 2025. That’s the most recorded by any FBS player since 2017.

Few Bucs have approached their rookie seasons with this much hype. The expectations for Bain are off the charts.

He wants to be great, and that’s half the battle. But before Buc fans start comparing Bain to Warren Sapp, Simeon Rice or Jason Pierre-Paul, cut this young man some slack.

Double-digit sacks would be marvelous. Making everyone around him better would be the greatest gift of all.