Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain was not impactful in his NFL debut. Bain played 41 snaps and 24 pass-rush snaps without recording a pressure or a run stop.
Bain was blown off the ball at times and finished with a poor 40.1 grade, according to PFF. One word being used to describe Bain in his NFL premiere was hesitant. Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report called Bain hesitant in his latest mailbag and wondered if his lack of playing time in the preseason had anything to do with his slow start.
“Tampa Bay’s first-round pick seemed hesitant at times at Cincinnati, and not the pass rusher full of fury on every down that we saw in his six snaps in the preseason game against the Chiefs,” wrote Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report. “In hindsight, Bain probably should have played more than just those six snaps versus Kansas City because he had plenty of “welcome to the NFL” moments on Sunday at Cincinnati where he was playing more reactively rather than proactively.”
The Bucs held Bain out of the first and third weeks of the preseason. Then, they only played him in six snaps with the starting defense in the second preseason game. They pulled him after the defense got one drive.
It makes sense to treat the veteran starters like this. While head coach Todd Bowles believed that Bain was showing veteran status in practice, it did not translate to the field for his first NFL start. Bain will be looking to get closer to midseason form quickly.
Rueben Bain Struggles in Debut with Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bain led all rookie edge rushers in snaps, with 41. He is one of the six rookie edge rushers to have more than 11 pass rush snaps. His 24 was second to David Bailey, who was drafted ahead of him.
To be fair, only Bailey and R Mason Thomas had more than one pressure in their debuts. Bailey was drafted higher, and Thomas is a designated pass rusher. Still, Romello Height is the only other rookie to have at least 12 pass rush attempts and fail to record a single pressure.
Bailey, Thomas, Malachi Lawrence, and Cashius Howell all showed more in their NFL debuts.
Bucs Need More From Bain
Reynolds went on to mention that Bain also had a bad matchup. Former first-round pick Amarius Mims is starting to come into his own as a pass blocker. He has a wingspan of nearly 87 inches as well, posing as one of the biggest tackles in the NFL.
Meanwhile, Bain fell in the draft because his arms are on the shorter side. His wingspan is just 77 3/8″. Mims is nearly 10″ longer than Bain in reach.
So, it was a tough draw for a rookie who does not see athletes like that with the skill set of Mims.
When the Bucs face the Cleveland Browns, it will be Tytus Howard facing off against Bain. His wingspan is longer than Bain’s, at 81 5/8“, but not nearly as long as Mims’. This could present a matchup advantage for Bain.
Bucs’ 1st-Round Pick Called ‘Hesitant’ After Debut