Buccaneers Pick Rueben Bain Jr. 15th in 2026 NFL Draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. with the 15th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night in Pittsburgh, adding a dynamic pass rusher to address a glaring weakness on their defense despite Bain's involvement in a fatal car crash two years earlier.

Bain, a 21-year-old consensus All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year, recorded 20.5 sacks over three college seasons, including 9.5 in his final year, while helping the Hurricanes reach the College Football Playoff national championship game in January. At 6-foot-3 and 275 pounds, he brings explosive quickness, refined hand usage and the ability to disrupt both the pass and run games, according to scouts. Analysts project him as an immediate complement to interior lineman Vita Vea, potentially recording double-digit sacks as a rookie given his high floor and technique.

The selection came amid reports that Bain was the driver in a March 2024 crash on Interstate 95 in Miami. Around 4 a.m., his Land Rover SUV rear-ended another vehicle, ricocheted off concrete barriers on both sides of the highway and came to rest on the shoulder. Two Miami teammates, Wesley...