Well, that is not how Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher and 2026 1st-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. wanted to start his NFL career.
The Buccaneers looked lost for most of a 33-27, mistake-filled road loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, and even when the Bucs made it a game, Bain was nowhere to be found.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox put Bain on blast for his lack of impact in the opener.
“Rookie first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. was largely invisible,” Knox wrote on September 19. “The 15th pick in April’s draft played 64 percent of the defensive snaps but finished with just one tackle, no sacks, and no QB pressures. Bain was arguably college football’s most disruptive defender in 2025 but fell in the draft due to concerns about arm length. He needs to prove that such concerns were unwarranted, and he needs to play much, much better to prove the Bucs right for stopping his slide in the middle of Round 1.”
Bengals’ Amarius Mims Dominates Against Bain
Matched up with 6-foot-8, 350-pound Bengals offensive tackle Amarius Mims, Bain was completely shut down.
“Rueben Bain Jr. had 0 sacks, 0 pressures, 0 stops, and just 1 tackle on 41 snaps in his NFL debut,” NFL Draft Files wrote on its official X account. “It’s always rough for rookies in the trenches; I expect him to improve as the season goes on.”
“Not the early returns Tampa was looking for from Rueben Bain Jr. in NFL debut,” CBS Sports researcher Doug Clawson wrote on X. “24 pass rushes, 0 pressures per PFF. The most pass rushes without a pressure by any player in an NFL debut in the last 4 years.”
“Rough debut outing,” Gridiron Nerd wrote on its official X account. “Amarius Mims erased him … does arm length matter? Can he bounce back & how?”
“I was pretty vocal that Rueben Bain was a significantly overthought prospect and everyone will be reminded in the fall,” Football Analysis wrote on its official X account. “One game does not change my stance on this take. He’s also not going up against aliens every week like Amarius Mims. And if this tape shows anything — it’s how underrated Amarius Mims is … he’s an absolute stud RT.”
Rueben Bain Jr. Needs Big Game Against Browns
The Buccaneers have a much softer landing — hopefully — in Week 2 when they return home to play the lowly Cleveland Browns.
CBS Sports NFL reporter Douglas Clawson predicted would break the NFL rookie record of 14.5 sacks set by Tennessee Titans defensive end Jevon Kearse in 1999.
In 3 seasons at the University of Miami, Bain had 20.5 sacks, which included missing 4 games during his sophomore season in 2024.
Bain dropped to the Buccaneers at No. 15 overall due to concerns over his arm length and off-field issues.
“Short arms (and AC sprain) be damned,” Clawson wrote on August 31. “First-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. will break Jevon Kearse’s rookie record (14.5 sacks in 1999) with 15.0 sacks in 2026. Production over projection will win the day this year as the Miami Hurricanes standout will spit in the face of the detractors who would point to how he had the second-shortest arm length among edge rushers drafted in the first round since 2003.”
Bucs 1st-Round Pick Called ‘Largely Invisible’ After NFL Debut