The Tampa Bay Buccaneers best offseason was obvious to almost everyone. Rueben Bain was a top ten pick on many scout’s draft board, and the national media projected him to go as high as inside the top five. So, when Bain fell to 15th overall, it was obviously the best decision the Bucs could have made. That is why Mike Sando of The Athletic pegged the decision as the best move Tampa Bay made this offseason.
Bain fell a bit in the draft due to his arm length. It would be an outlier for him to be a successful pass rusher with arms as short as his. So, while some players had other questions in their profiles, they looked like things that could be overcome, whereas short arms are not.
Still, Bain has been highly productive. He has 20.5 career sacks at Miami and 33.5 tackles for loss, including 9.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss last year. The floor might be lower due to his arm length, but the ceiling remains high.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers get the Perfect fit for their Defense
GettyBucs edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr.
Bain was the best player on the board, but he is also a great fit for the defense. The Bucs edge rusher depth chart was weak last year, and the team moved on from Hasson Reddick, who was a major disappointment. They added Al-Quadin Muhammad, but he is a one-year wonder with minimal production.
Their depth was a serious issue last year, so being able to add a quality starter like Bain while pushing Muhammad into a depth role is a major upgrade across the board. It is one of the best moves of the entire offseason by any team, so it was clearly the Bucs best decision.
Tampa Bay Draft Perception Outdoes Reality
The interesting note is that Sando pings the Bain selection as what the Bucs always do. He pointed out that the Bucs do not ever trade up for players; they tend to let the board fall to them. The issue is that Sando makes it sound like Tampa Bay always finds players such as Bain with this philosophy. He noted Tristan Wirfs as a similar pick that should have never been on the board.
However, since Wirfs, the Bucs top picks have been Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Logan Hall, Calijah Kancey, Graham Barton, and Emekga Egbuka. It is a mixed bag to say the least.
Egbuka looks like a hit so far. Barton has started for two years, but was a tackle in college, who is transitioning to center. That has brought mixed results so far. Kancey was hurt last year but has also failed to live up to the expectations when he was taken.
Then, there is Hall and Try0n-Shoyinka who are no longer on the team and do not look like they are going to sustain NFL careers. So, it is fair to note that the Bucs stand pat and stay patient in the draft. It is questionable to say that this always leads to success.
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