Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. was always thought to be an elite prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, and a late-breaking story that painted him in a negative light didn’t prevent the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from selecting Bain with the No. 15 overall pick Thursday night.Bain began the process as a potential top five pick, but kept falling on Thursday night as other prospects went ahead of him. The Buccaneers, who had a big need at edge rusher, had to be surprised and thrilled to see Bain available when they went on the clock with the 15th pick. Throughout most of the draft process, Bain was considered one of the top prospects on the board and one of the elite pass rushers available.
But reports emerged in mid-April that Bain was involved in a fatal 2024 car crash.Bain was reportedly driving the car when he hit another car and collided with concrete barriers on the freeway. One of the passengers in Bain’s car, 22-year-old Destiny Betts, sustained injuries in the crash and died three months later after spending three months in a coma. Bain was cited for careless driving immediately following the crash.
That citation, however, was dismissed two weeks prior to Betts’ death. Field sobriety tests were reportedly not performed at the crash scene, per The Read Optional.Follow the NFL Draft live with breaking news, pick-by-pick grades, analysisGiven the timing of that report coming to light, some wondered whether NFL teams would pass on Bain given his involvement in the fatal crash. But while his role in the crash was unknown by the general public, NFL teams knew about it for months, Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein detailed in a story.
Epstein wrote on April 16: Most evaluators believe Bain leaving the board in the top 10 is the most likely possibility, though some evaluators believe he projects more clearly in the 15-to-20 range. If Bain is drafted in the second half of the first round, evaluators will not view that as related to his driving history. They will view it first and foremost as a reflection of teams’ concern with his 30 ⅞-inch arm length measurement at the combine.Entering the draft, Bain ranked as one of the top prospects on Yahoo Sports’ Big Board and was mocked as high as the top-10 by draft experts Charles McDonald and Nate Tice.Bain had a standout career at Miami, racking up 20.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss in 38 games.
He played a major role in the team reaching the national title game this season, picking up five total sacks during the College Football Playoffs. The Buccaneers hope Bain can translate that production to their defense.